If All Hope Were Lost
by animalcrazy10102
Summary: 3 months after Harry and Voldemort vanish, everyone thinks they are both dead, but Ginny refuses to give up hope that he'll return. read to find out what happens and please review! H/G *Complete*
1. Memorial

It was a warm early summer afternoon, and the Hogwarts grounds were quite inviting with the large trees offering a large amount of shade over much of the vast grounds. Contrary to what would be expected though, the grounds were almost utterly abandoned of students and teachers alike, not even Hagrid could be seen walking along the grounds or his quaint hut.  
  
If one were to look carefully through the windows of the massive castle though, they could see the slight form of one black robe clad student sitting on the far side of a large lake with their knees drawn up to their chest, looking deep into the lake, but not quite seeing it.  
  
As the figure sat quietly, two others joined it, also clad in black robes. After what seemed like a short conversation, the sitting student got to their feet and walked between the other students back toward the castle slowly, all three apparently lost in their own thoughts. As they drew closer to the castles main doors, their features could be easily identified.  
  
The one on the left was a lanky boy with bright red hair and a grim expression on his pale face. He stood a full head over the student on the right, who was a pretty girl with slightly bushy brown hair.  
  
The girl also had a pretty tense expression on her face and slightly swollen eyes as though she had been crying not long before. The one in between the others though had an expression on her face that was unreadable. She was quite a bit shorted than either of the others and had bright auburn hair that hung to her waist in a loose ponytail and she looked quite stunning even though she had obviously not put much effort into her appearance at all.  
  
As they drew even with the great stone steps that led to the oak front doors, their conversation could be heard even though they were speaking quietly.  
  
"What do you think it is going to be like Hermione?" asked the boy to the bushy haired girl.  
  
"I don't know Ron, probably pretty grand, with lots of people and reporters. I bet just about every wizard and witch in any place of power will be there too." Hermione said in answer.  
  
The girl in the middle just grunted before speaking herself "Knowing Fudge, it will probably be a circus, complete with him saying 'I knew all along that he was special, and I never had any doubts as to his abilities or power' yet, he is willing to give up way to easily in order to get his way, killing two birds with one stone, so to say." She said huffily while keeping her eyes locked straight ahead.  
  
The other two met each others eyes over her head before the boy spoke again, "Gin, I know how upset you are, but it's been three months, it's time to let go, no matter how difficult it is, you need to move on, he wouldn't want you to be miserable at his expense." He said quietly to the small girl beside him.  
  
Suddenly, she spun around to face him, her dark eyes alive with a bright fire that caused the much larger boy to falter under their gaze.  
  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S TIME TO LET GO!!!!!!! TO MOVE ON!!!!!!" she screamed before quieting her voice only slightly "I refuse to believe that he is dead Ron, and you should too, both of you" she said spinning around to face the other girl momentarily before spinning back on the boy. "He has been your best friend for five years Ron, and you too Hermione. I can't believe that after all you three have been through that you would believe that he would be gone, you know as well as I do that he is one of the most powerful wizards of all time, if not the most powerful. He's not like me and you, he's special and you know it. It would take more than what he's been through for him to really be gone, no matter what Fudge says. And before you bring it up, I'm not just saying this because I have been a fan of his for my entire life, or because he is my boyfriend, I am saying this because it is true, and even though you might not like to admit it, you believe it is true too, so stop trying to tell me otherwise. I going to go get dressed" she finished, her face flushed and tears running unnoticed down her freckled cheeks before she pulled the massive doors open and walking hastily into the massive entry hall, leaving her companions behind her in bewilderment.  
  
"She's right you know, about everything" said Ron miserably with his eyes downcast, Hermione nodding in agreement before the two followed Ginny into the deserted entry hall and up the stairs toward Gryffindor Tower to change cloths themselves before the service started. What they didn't notice though was the man watching them from one of the upper  
  
stories. He had a sad expression in his blue eyes, and his face was tight and tired, and  
  
despite the wrinkles around his eyes that showed he was used to smiling, his face was  
  
void of any happy emotion and his eyes were unnaturally dull behind his half moon  
  
spectacles as he closed the curtains and made his way down the stairs in his office and  
  
toward the great hall to prepare for the moment he had wished he would never have to  
  
see during his lifetime, the memorial service for Harry Potter.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
An hour later, Ron met Ginny and Hermione in the common room of Gryffindor tower, where the rest of their house had gathered and were making their way toward the portrait hole.  
  
Walking toward his sister and best friend, Ron noticed that Ginny had plastered the indifferent expression back across her young face. Sighing inwardly, Ron thought about how she had opened up earlier, the first time she had done so for the past three months. Contrary to what she seemed to think most of the time, he really did care for her and the past months she had really worried him.  
  
At first, he had flat out refused to say it was alright with him if his best friend dated his sister, but that didn't stop them, now did it he reminded himself as he thought back to the misfortunate accident he had had by walking into the empty charms corridor that night only about three weeks into the term to find his baby sister and best friend holding each other close and dancing to a melody heard only in their ears, completely oblivious to the world around him, that was until he had tripped over his own two feet and went sprawling across the floor of the almost empty hallway in his shock.  
  
The happy couple sprang apart instantly and stood open mouthed looking at the sight that was on the floor before him for a few moments before they burst out laughing. Ron had been furious at the pair, how could they go behind his back and date after he had expressly told them he didn't approve of it, and they were laughing at him as he lay there on the floor, they didn't even ask him if he was alright, they just started laughing.  
  
After a short time though, Harry had come over to him and offered him a hand and grudgingly, Ron took it and Harry pulled him to his feet, still trying his hardest not to laugh anymore. As Ron thought back on that day, he realized he must have looked quite hilarious just lying sprawled out in the middle of the corridor like that, and he didn't blame them for laughing at all. Once he was safely back on his feet, Ginny had come up beside Harry and he put his arm over her shoulder protectively before any of them spoke.  
  
"What might I ask is going on here!" he had demanded of his best friend and little sister.  
  
"Well, we were dancing" answered Ginny simply, as though that were the most obvious answer in the world.  
  
"I could see that, but you two, together? I thought we understood each other on this one Harry!"  
  
"We are in perfect understanding Ron, you don't approve of your baby sister dating, no matter who she dates, but we decided to follow our own hearts on this one, and they led us to this hallway tonight to dance."  
  
"Honestly Ron, you're worst than Fred and George, when they found out, they congratulated us and said they were happy I found someone they could trust. Besides, would you prefer it if I dated someone you didn't know, or better yet, how about Neville or Seamus, or there's always boys from other houses, you know, Malfoy is kind of a dish" she said, with a mischievous grin on her face.  
  
At her last statement though, both of the boys stared at her in open mouthed shock before Ron gathered his wits enough to speak again.  
  
"No, you misunderstood me Gin, I am happy you and Harry are together, it will just take some getting used to, that's all" he said hastily, trying his hardest to back peddle over his previous statement as quickly as possible.  
  
"I'll just leave you two now, but don't be too long, it's almost curfew and I will not stand for Harry corrupting you Gin and causing you to break the rules, for all you know, you could end up in the forbidden forest with Aragog. I'll see you in a bit" he concluded before turning on his heel and making for the end of the hallway as quick as possible, but before he was out of earshot, he heard Harry speak to Ginny again.  
  
"You wouldn't really date any of those other guys, would you Ginny, not that I have anything against Neville and Seamus, but honestly, you think Malfoy is dishy?" he asked incredulously. Ron had to speed up to get out of ear shot so that he didn't bust out laughing, so he wasn't able to hear his sisters response, not that he really wanted to though.  
  
As he was lost in the memory of happier times, he didn't notice that Hermione and Ginny had reached him until Hermione spoke his name.  
  
"Ron, are you ready to go, everyone else has left" she said gently  
  
Startled back into the present, Ron looked over to his sister and saw that her head was down and she appeared lost in her own thoughts about happier times. 'She's too young to have to go through this' he thought angrily to himself 'why must she be forced to find someone who she cares about and cares about her in return only to have him tragically pulled from her life forever?  
  
Damn you Voldemort! What right do you have to do this to such an innocent girl!' but then he thought again 'What right do you have to do this to any of us, none of us deserve this, least of all Harry.' He thought miserably before putting on a brave face for his sister and best friends' sake and nodded his head, indicating that he was indeed ready to go, in one sense of the word, he was dressed, but he was far from ready to have to go to a memorial service for his best friend.  
  
They then made their way out the portrait hole, and following a few other students that had not already left, made their way toward the entrance hall, meeting up with several other students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff on the way.  
  
As they descended the stairs into the entry hall, they noticed that almost the entire school was already there waiting to be allowed to enter the great hall. No one was surprised that although the memorial service was not an official function of the school, every student had decided to attend, including the whole of Slytherin house, the last of which were making their way up from the dungeon at that very moment. Everyone of them owed their lives to Harry, if it hadn't been for him, the attack would have resulted in most of their deaths.  
  
Ron, Hermione, and Ginny settled themselves against a far wall and waited patiently in silence to be allowed to enter. As they waited, they all noticed the pale face and white blonde hair of a Slytherin student get their attention, and he, noticing their looks, inclined his head slightly toward them, his face breaking into a sad smile, not his traditional smirk, but a true smile.  
  
'Things have defiantly changed' thought Ron grimly, returning the gesture to the Slytherin for a moment before their attention was taken to the opening of the doors to the great hall, revealing the form of Professor McGonagall as she pulled the doors silently shut behind her.  
  
She was dressed in a set of plain black robes, and the expression on her face was one of utter emotional pain and loss. As she entered the entrance hall, the few people who had been whispering to one another stopped immediately and gave the deputy headmistress their undivided attention.  
  
It was so unnaturally silent in the room, that the professors' voice rang through the hall and was easily heard by all present as she spoke.  
  
"Students, I am pleased to see that all of you decided to attend on this sad day. In just a moment, you will be permitted to enter, but I must warn you that due to the large number of guests, most of you will be required to stand at the back of the hall. Many of your families are present and you are welcome to join them if the room allows for it. If none of you have any questions, then please follow me." She instructed in a level voice, like she was trying her hardest not to break down in front of her students.  
  
Ron, Hermione, and Ginny found Fred and George and followed the twins into the great hall. The first thing that struck Hermione was just how many people were there. The four house tables and the head table were missing, replaced instead by what seemed like thousands of chairs in neat rows across the hall, with several isles running between them.  
  
Hermione's eyes then traveled up toward the front of the hall where a small stage had been erected. There were several bright bouquets of flowers on the stage, as well as a pedestal with a bright golden plaque on it that read: To Mister Harry Potter for outstanding courage and bravery toward Hogwarts School; earned March 4, awarded June 4.  
  
Next to the plaque was a muggle photo of Harry sitting by the lake, Ginny wrapped in his arm and Ron and Hermione standing beside them. They were all smiling broadly and Hermione recognized the picture as one Colin took on Valentines day that year.  
  
They had all been so happy that day, thought Hermione bitterly, and with a lump in her throat she realized that the photo was taken less than a month before the attack. None of them had any idea that day that their lives were about to be turned completely turned upside down.  
  
They quietly made their way up one of the center isles until they came to a group of red heads a few rows from the front. Mr. Weasley was sitting on the edge, his wife next to him with tears running down her cheeks.  
  
Both stood to give the new arrivals each a tight embrace and the five students took the empty seats, Ginny beside her mother, with Ron, Hermione, Fred and George coming next.  
  
Percy was in front of them with Bill and Charlie on either side of him. All three brothers turned and greeted the young students warmly before turning around to focus their attention back on the Headmaster who had just stepped up onto the stage to begin.  
  
"Students, friends, I welcome you all to Hogwarts, even though the circumstances are less that enjoyable. We are gathered here today to remember the life of perhaps the most powerful young wizard to have ever graced these hallow halls, Mr. Harry Potter.  
  
As you are all well aware, three months ago today, the castle was invaded by Lord Voldemort and an army of dementors and death eaters. All the students fought hard and many sustained severe injuries, but miraculously, all survived. That would have not been the case though if the attack had not been stopped by Mr. Potter. He willingly confronted the dark lord and pulled his attention away from the castle. What transpired next is still a mystery to all involved.  
  
Something occurred that caused the dementors and death eaters that hadn't been restrained or stunned to vanish, as well as Voldemort and Harry. We don't know if they were destroyed or if they merely vanished, but what we do know is that no sign of the dark lord or Mr. Potter have been found, despite the ministries greatest efforts. We can only assume that Harry was able to destroy the dark lord be sacrificing himself." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ In a muggle town of London, far from the wondrous castle and grounds that made up Hogwarts, a large busy hospital was going about it's daily routine when the doors of the emergency room burst open to reveal a terrible sight.  
  
Several nurses and doctors rushed up to the new arrival as he haltingly made his way out of the hospital entrance, only to find himself collapsing onto the floor in a heap.  
  
"Child what's wrong with you, who are you and who did this?" asked one of the doctors hastily as he got a clear view of the patient lying on the floor in front of him. He had jet black hair that hung in tangled, bloody mats to his shoulders and he was wearing peculiar loose fitting black robes that hung to his wrists and ankles and came all the way up to his neck, effectively hiding all but his face and hands from view. His clothing was caked with blood as well and was very frayed and had tears in several places and even more thin worn patches than could be counted. He had his arms drawn up protectively in front of his chest and the doctor could see that the backs of both of his hands were bruised and bloody. His breathing was very shallow and ragged, and every few seconds he would cough violently, bring up mouthfuls of blood each time.  
  
He asked him again who he was and who did this to him as a nurse brought a gurney up behind him, but the stranger didn't answer, just began coughing again, throwing his head forward each time and causing his thick hair to completely obscure his face from view.  
  
Gently, as to not startle or hurt the stranger any further, the doctor brushed the hair from the strangers face and gasped at what he saw. The face was that of a boy no more than fifteen or sixteen, and it was in just as bad of shape as his hands, his eyes were shut tight with pain. "My God, he's just a boy! Quick, let's get him into the exam room!" he exclaimed, but before he could begin to move the boy, his wrist was caught in a surprisingly strong grip and he looked at the child in shock as he began to speak, with the most unnaturally bright green eyes he had ever seen focused on the doctors face without blinking.  
  
"He's.gone.they.all.are.finally gone" he gasped out in a hoarse whisper, looking up at the doctor before uttering one more sentence, those bright green eyes still focused on the doctors face without blinking "Please.sir.I.I.think I.n.need.a.d.doc.doctor." He gasped out before falling unconscious on the floor of the hospital. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Hey, if anyone reads this, please review and tell me what you think, and if I should keep going or just forget about it. Thanks! 


	2. Reflections

Chapter 2  
  
The memorial service lasted the better part of the afternoon and into the early evening hours, with many different witches and wizards, young and old alike speaking of happier times.  
  
The minister of magic spoke as well as every professor of Hogwarts, and many students, not all from the school, Fleur and Victor came to the castle again to honor the memory of their fellow tri wizard competitor, and many Hogwarts students spoke fondly of good times with or because of Harry.  
  
Ron, Hermione, and Ginny listened to all the speakers with rapt attention and smiled or laughed softly at different stories and remarks made by their fellow students, but all three of them held their seats and never approached the podium themselves.  
  
As Dumbledore listened to Professor Flitwick speak, his eyes drifted toward the three who were the most affected by Harry's disappearance and his thoughts traveled back about two weeks to the day he summoned the three students to his office individually to ask why they hadn't signed up to speak at the memorial service.  
  
Their answers still rang clear in his ears. His eyes traveled to Ron and he momentarily locked eyes with the young Weasley boy as he thought about his words on that day. "I'm sorry headmaster, but Harry was and still is my best friend, and I just refuse to believe that he is indeed gone.  
  
The ministry has found no evidence to support their statement that he is dead, and until they do I will not accept it, and I will not give up that he will return. If that flash of light killed Harry and you-know-who, why did the death eaters and dementors disappear too?  
  
Those who were already stunned were left behind and taken into custody by the ministry, no longer a threat to anybody here, but why were they left at all, surely they would have been taken too if it were all just some strange force that was at work.  
  
So you see, I will attend the memorial service of course, but I will not stand up there and speak like I think Harry will never return, because he will, he's more powerful than any of us and he would never let you-know-who kill him." He had concluded before rising from the chair and leaving the stunned headmaster behind.  
  
His eyes then traveled to Hermione and his conversation with her came back to his mind as well. "Professor Dumbledore, as hard as it may be for the ministry to believe, Harry is still alive, just lost somewhere I think.  
  
There are no records of anything like this ever happening before, and so we have no right to conclude that that flash of light killed all those people. Only two people know what really happened between Harry and you-know-who besides themselves, they were too far away for anyone else to hear them, and until Draco and Ginny are ready to talk about what they saw and heard in more detail, none of us can assume what we think is the truth really happened.  
  
All we know is that whatever took Harry away left Ginny and Draco unharmed, even though they were just a couple of feet away from them. I know of no strange phenomenon that is able to pick and choose who it takes, all that I've read about either take everyone or no one, so because of that, I refuse to believe that that thing killed Harry" she had finished with her face a mask of unflinching resolve.  
  
Dumbledore sat and thought for a moment about what the two students had each said and he agreed with them whole heartedly on every statement now that he thought about it as Professor Sprout rose to address the gathered crowd.  
  
His blue eyes then fell on the face of Ginny Weasley, who, despite the look of denial on her face, had bright tears shinning in her eyes, though she refused to let them fall onto her face. His thoughts then wandered to his conversation with the youngest Weasley and girlfriend of Harry Potter.  
  
"Miss. Weasley, I have called you here today to ask you a few difficult questions," he had begun, and when she nodded her head resolutely, he had continued "the first of which concerns the reason as to why you refuse to speak at the memorial service for Harry in a couple of weeks."  
  
After bowing her head for a moment to compose her answer, her dark amber eyes focused on his face and without blinking, she said the sentence that would always haunt him "Because I refuse to speak of things I know for a fact aren't true, and I don't think anybody else should either." She had answered with almost an accusing note to her words. Shocked by her statement, he had just stared into her eyes for several moments trying to figure out how a fifteen year-old girl had become wiser than himself, for she had succeeded in putting into one sentence what he himself had been feeling about the entire memorial service that was being planned.  
  
Once he had admitted to himself this simple truth, he asked the question that had been hoping for an answer for almost three months, "Ginny, would you please tell me what really happened that day, I know you don't want anyone else to know, and I promise not to reveal anything you disclose to anybody except to two of those who are still looking for Harry, Remus and Sirius.  
  
Perhaps what you know could help them know where to look." He asked in a pleading tone, willing her to explain the truth to him this time. As it was, he had asked more times than he could count, both Ginny and Draco, but both had refused to answer, for reasons that were known to them alone.  
  
Ron and Hermione hadn't even managed to get her to tell the truth, and he knew they had been trying harder that him to get it out of her.  
  
After several moments of silence, he felt resigned to the fact that he would never get an answer and turned his face away from the girl and was about to dismiss her when she began speaking again, much to his surprise and relief.  
  
"I have wanted to tell you the truth Headmaster, Ron and Hermione too, but I know what the truth would do to Harry, and I don't want to hurt him when he comes back, so please don't tell anybody but Sirius and Remus." She said with a pleading expression on her face, which vanished when he nodded his head in understanding, wondering what on earth he was about to hear.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The young doctor entered the small private room on the upper floor of the hospital to check on his new patient, officially given the name of minor- John Doe.  
  
He grunted at the name that had been assigned to the boy, surely the hospital administration could have come up with something more creative to call the boy until either he awoke or the authorities found out who he was.  
  
He quietly approached the bed and tapped the nurse on her shoulder to alert her to his presence. She spun around and faced the doctor, and upon seeing him, her face broke into a grim smile.  
  
"Doctor Jacobs, I didn't hear you come in." she said in a quiet voice.  
  
"Good evening Mary, how's he doing?"  
  
"Better sir, we got him cleaned up and he's ready for a more thorough exam. What did you find out on the preliminary exam and lab work?"  
  
"Not much outside of the obvious," he said in a sad tone "severe malnutrition and a bad infection somewhere that he's trying to fight, but as far as the physical exam, I couldn't see much because of all the dirt and blood. Has he had any pain killers or sedatives yet?"  
  
"Yes doctor, he is resting comfortably and can't feel a thing, though I think he would still be unconscious even without them."  
  
"I must agree with you on that one Mary, he's certainly in bad shape isn't he?"  
  
"It looks that way, but of course I'm not the doctor" she answered pointedly, looking up at the still unmoving doctor behind her.  
  
"Point taken Mary, let's get started" he said, resigned to the fact that he would at some point have to examine and document the boys extensive injuries.  
  
The pair approached the bed in silence, prepared to begin the examination, but before they could even touch the body on the bed, the unidentified boy began shaking uncontrollably as he pulled himself into a tight ball, obviously in extreme pain, the source of which could not be seen.  
  
As they watched in shock, he clenched his teeth and fists together tightly as though he were trying not to allow his pain to escape from his lips.  
  
The boy continued to convulse for several minutes before his face visibly relaxed as well as his fists before he began to breath again, pulling in several shallow ragged breaths before a low moan escaped from his still trembling body.  
  
He then relaxed immediately, obviously falling back into unconsciousness.  
  
The doctor and his nurse stood there in amazement for just moments before both rushed forward and carefully rolled the boy over onto his back.  
  
"What was that!" exclaimed Dr. Jacobs "I thought he got his pain medication"  
  
"He did, I think he was having a nightmare" answered Mary as she picked the boys left arm to pull the blankets back up to cover his body.  
  
"What's that Mary" asked the doctor suddenly,  
  
"What's what sir" she answered, obviously confused  
  
"The mark, on his arm there" he answered, grabbing the boy's left arm and rolling it over and pulling his sleeve up to reveal the underside of his forearm.  
  
The nurse gasped when she saw what he was talking about, there, on the boy's arm plain as day was a hideous tattoo of a black outline of a skull with a dangerous serpent slithering out of its gaping open mouth.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N: I am so happy, I actually got reviews, in the pleural sense of the word! Thank you so much Max, hyper, evil spapple pie, and murgatroyd, I'm glad you guys liked it! I know this leaves you on kind of a cliff huh? I promise that if I get some more reviews, I will post more tomorrow night after my killer history test, but only if you guys review! Ha ha ha, I will even take constructive criticism if you want to offer it! I gotta start studying now, so I hope you enjoy! 


	3. A promise

Chapter 3  
  
"Harry and I had decided to go for a walk out on the grounds during lunch, neither of us were in the mood to listen to Ron and Hermione argue any longer"  
  
She smiled grimly at the thought and realized that her brother and Hermione had not had a single argument since that day.  
  
"I got a little cold since it was only the beginning of March, and Harry laughed at me for not grabbing my cloak before we left, but he put his over my shoulders anyways and we stood by the lake together for a long time.  
  
I could tell he was cold since he only had his robes on for warmth, and I tried to convince him to go back inside, but he didn't want to, so we sat down on the shore together and started talking.  
  
He said he was worried about what was happening in the world, since there had been no sign of you-know-who for almost two years, since the tri wizard tournament.  
  
Everyone believed he was back, well almost everyone, but there was no proof.  
  
Last year was hard for Harry, he was so jumpy, expecting to be attacked at any moment.  
  
He got better as the year went on, getting so wrapped up in studying for the OWLS I guess, and I guess he decided that you-know-who was just not brave enough and didn't have enough followers yet to do anything.  
  
Sirius coming by to visit helped too, I think, but he still had that look on his face like he knew something was coming and he couldn't stop it.  
  
He talked about all this, and to tell you the truth I was surprised, I mean, we have been together since the beginning of last year, but he had never opened up so much before, not even to Ron and Hermione.  
  
I just sat there in his arms and listened to all his worries about the future, and though I would never say this to his face, I pitied him, I mean, he was only sixteen and had the hopes of the entire wizarding world on his shoulders.  
  
I don't see how anybody else could have dealt with everything he has had to face and still be a compassionate, kind, loving person, more concerned with everyone else than himself." With this said, the young girl bowed her head for a moment and let a few silent tears fall from her face before looking back into the face of the headmaster and continuing.  
  
"It was almost like he knew something was going to happen soon, because he turned me around to face him and said there was something important he had to tell me.  
  
I had no idea what he was going to say, and just nodded my head at him to continue and he said  
  
'Ginny, you know how important you are to me and I need you to promise me something'  
  
I was still unsure what he was talking about so I just nodded again and he looked almost relieved.  
  
'Ginny, I think Voldemort is planning something big, that's why he hasn't attacked anything or anyone yet'  
  
Still confused, I nodded again and he continued  
  
'I think Voldemort is planning on attacking Hogwarts' he said in a rush.  
  
I was shocked, of all things that I had been thinking he was going to say, this was furthest from my mind.  
  
My shock must have showed on my face, because he continued really fast  
  
'Please believe my Ginny, I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I have this weird feeling and I need to make sure you will be alright if anything happens, promise me Gin, if the castle is attacked, promise me that you will stay away from the fighting, I'll give you my invisibility cloak to hide under, but promise me that you'll run as far away from the fighting as possible, in one of the secret passages or something until the coast is clear, please Ginny promise me that you will stay out of trouble and promise me that you'll take the cloak with you everywhere so you'll have it when you need it.'  
  
He just stared at me with a pleading expression in his eyes for several minutes, but I couldn't think of anything to say.  
  
I just couldn't believe that the castle would ever be at risk, I mean, everyone knows it's the safest place in the wizarding world, but I couldn't bring myself to promise Harry that I would run away while everyone else was at risk, but his eyes were so intense and pleading that I couldn't refuse to give him what he wanted, so I promised him that I would use the cloak if anything happened and that I would hide in the passage to Honeydukes until someone found me.  
  
He looked so relieved when I said that, and he seamed to have a great weight lifted off his shoulders, but what he said next surprised me more than anything he had said before, he told me that he loved me and that he couldn't live with himself if anything happened to me, that too many people had already died because of him and he couldn't take any more blood on his hands, he told me he loved me" she muttered again softly  
  
"He loved me" with those words said, she broke down in tears for the first time since that day and buried her face in her hands.  
  
Unsure of what he should do, the Headmaster walked to the trembling girl and pulled her into a tight embrace, listening to her mutter over and over to her self the same three words "he loved me, he loved me" for several minutes before she broke the embrace and looked deep into the headmasters eyes before she spoke again.  
  
"He said he loved me, but I didn't deserve that love from him, when it came down to it, I couldn't keep my promise to him, I couldn't just run and hide and leave him and my friends and brothers behind to be attacked by death eaters and dementors.  
  
If I had just proved to him that I loved him too and kept my promise to him by running and hiding like I said I would then he might still be here today" she finished, starring at the headmaster with tears still rolling down her pale cheeks.  
  
"Child, there was nothing you could have done to stop what happened from happening, Harry knew what he was facing when he confronted Voldemort, and unfortunately there was nothing you or I could have done to stop him.  
  
He would have faced the dark lord at some point, if not that day, then another, no matter what we tried to do to stop him." He said looking into the girls sad eyes and willing her to understand his words before he continued .  
  
"The only thing you can do for Harry now is to tell me what happened when the attack began, perhaps then we can know better where to look for Harry, to bring him home. Draco won't tell me, for reasons that I do not know, and I am begging you to tell me what happened, even though it might by hard for you to relive it for me, your words might be the missing key to tell us where Harry is, will you tell me?" he asked hopefully, still starring into the girls eyes that were much to sad for her years.  
  
"Yes sir, I'll tell you" she said meekly, harshly wiping the few remaining tears from her eyes before turning her face back into an unreadable mask before continuing her sad tale.  
  
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At the same time as Dumbledore was reliving the conversation he had had with Ginny about the events that had occurred on that fateful day, the still unidentified boy in the muggle hospital was reliving the events themselves in his nightmare.  
  
They were sitting close together on the far side of the lake, her enveloped in his tight embrace after she had promised him that she would stay out of danger when the attack came, and he knew it would, though he didn't think that it would come right then.  
  
As they sat together, his scar suddenly began to sear in pain, making it feel as though hot needles were forcing themselves deep into his skull and trying to force it apart along his famous scar.  
  
He had forced his eyes open instantly against the pain and pulled a still oblivious Ginny around to face him roughly.  
  
"Ginny, their here!"  
  
"What? Who's here Harry?" she had demanded, the color draining from her face and her eyes filled with fear.  
  
"Voldemort" he had stated simply, jumping to his feet and dragging her up with him, which was very easy since she was very slim and petite.  
  
"Run Ginny, I don't have the invisibility cloak, but you have to hide, now!!!" he shouted frantically, looking all around himself for a visible sign of his enemy that he knew was close.  
  
"Run where Harry? Where could I hide? There is nowhere to hide, and besides, I won't go without you" she said in a small voice, looking up into his eyes pleadingly "Come with me Harry, please" she begged him.  
  
"Ginny, you promised you would leave when they attacked! Go! Hide in the forest, the centaurs will look after you!"  
  
"No. I won't leave without you Harry!"  
  
"Ginny, their here for me, and I can't allow anyone else to get hurt because I won't face him!"  
  
"What about me Harry? What will I do if something happens to you while I'm hiding in there?"  
  
"Ginny, don't worry about me, I'll be fine just knowing you're safe, but Ron and Hermione are still in the castle and he knows how close they are to me, and he'll try to use them against me, and he'll try to use you too, so please hide, don't give him any more of an advantage over me because I don't think I could refuse him if he got you"  
  
When he said that, he noticed tears begin to form in Ginny's eyes for an instant before she nodded her head vigorously and pulled him into a tight hug and whispering in his ear.  
  
"Keep them safe Harry, all of them, I know you can beat him, I love you" she whispered before turning quickly on her heel and fleeing into the forest.  
  
"I love you too Gin" he muttered to her retreating back before he turned and looked out over the vast grounds to see shadowy shapes begin to emerge from the forest.  
  
  
  
A/N: I know its kinda short, but I have several more chapters typed right now and I'll post more later tonight if you want me too. Thanks for reviewing guys!! 


	4. The Terms of Surrender

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Chapter 4  
  
Trying hard to pull his concentration away form the red headed girl in the forest and focusing instead on the task at hand, he took a few deep steadying breaths before making his way around the vast lake, summoning all his strength and blocking out the intense pain in his scar.  
  
He knew what was about to happen, and he was ready for it, he refused to let anyone else try to protect him, it was his turn to protect them.  
  
The black clad figures were steadily and silently approaching the unsuspecting castle, their eyes all facing forward and their wands outstretched.  
  
None of them had noticed the pair of students on the far side of the lake and they didn't see when one disappeared into the forest and the other began to creap steadily in their direction.  
  
Perhaps if they had been a bit more observant, they wouldn't have been about a dozen death eaters short from the stunning spells that Harry had sent their way as one would fall a few steps behind the others.  
  
No matter how many he stunned though, Harry couldn't believe that it wasn't even making a dent in their vast numbers.  
  
Harry crept even further forward, trying his hardest to keep hidden and silent behind the vast trees on the outer perimeter of the forbidden forest, still stunning every death eater he had the opportunity to.  
  
As one of his stunners took out another member of the enemy, he noticed with a sinking stomach that they were very close to the entrance of the castle.  
  
If only he could get a message to Dumbledore then at least he would have time to get the students to safety in their common rooms, but that was now looking impossible since the massive army of death eaters had now come to a halt encircling the front door.  
  
As they stood there, Harry couldn't help getting the feeling in the pit of his stomach that they were waiting for something, or someone.  
  
His instinct was proven right an instant later as his insides were turned to ice by a yet unseen force.  
  
Looking back into the area of the forest the death eaters had come from, Harry saw more black images moving in the shadows, seeming to float over the ground.  
  
'Dementors' he thought miserably to himself.  
  
But the creatures didn't enter into the sunlight lit grounds though, they hid themselves in the shadows of the forest and waited.  
  
'Their going to attack anyone who tries to escape' he grumbled inwardly.  
  
Just then, another image made its way onto the grounds and caused Harry's scar to explode with a fresh wave of pain, worse than he had ever felt before causing him to be temporarily blinded by it as he fell to his knees on the hard cold ground, his eyes shut and his fists and teeth clenched willing himself not to cry out.  
  
This new arrival though was not clad in the same black robes as the others', instead his robes were the deep red color of blood.  
  
As Voldemort advanced through the field of death eaters who all had their heads bowed, he withdrew his wand and stretched it out in front of himself.  
  
When he reached a point directly in front of the doors of the castle, he began to speak loudly, his cold cruel voice echoing off the massive towers and stone walls of the magnificent castle.  
  
"Dumbledore, the time has come for you to bow before the power of the Dark Lord Voldemort. The castle is surrounded and there is no escape for you or your students, and if you don't wish to see their deaths, then surrender to me and give me what I desire" he demanded in a harsh tone that put a sense of dread into the pit of Harry's stomach when realization hit him.  
  
'Voldemort is here for me' he thought bitterly. 'Maybe if I surrender, he'll leave and no one else will get hurt'  
  
He was about to reveal himself to the evil wizard when the doors of the castle burst open to show the headmaster standing defensively with his wand drawn and pointing straight at Voldemort looking every bit the most powerful wizard in the world that he was.  
  
Harry was not surprised to see all the other teachers standing behind the old wizard, but he was surprised to see a mass of black behind them with several hundred wands outstretched.  
  
'The other students! No! He'll kill them all' he thought miserably.  
  
"I will never surrender to you Voldemort, and neither will this castle" he said in a powerful but steady voice.  
  
Voldemort began to laugh, that high cold laugh that had haunted Harry's dream as far back as he could remember.  
  
"You expect to defeat the greatest dark lord of all time with an army of children?" he spat the last word at the assembled student like it were poison on his tongue.  
  
"Don't be foolish Dumbledore, you know that you are no match for me and these students are no match for my servants. Give up now and all of your lives will be spared. Just give me what I want and turn the castle over to my control, you and your students will live."  
  
"I will never turn this castle over to you Voldemort." Dumbledore said, his voice still calm and his wand not wavering in the least.  
  
As Harry watched the interaction, still trying to block the pain radiating from his scar, he saw the snake like face break into the smile of a maniac.  
  
"Very well then, if you insist, I shall just take what I want by force. You can not hide the boy forever Dumbledore, I will have him and I will enact my revenge on him for what he has done to me. You would do good to just hand him over, saving yourself a lot of effort trying to prevent the inevitable.  
  
I will even make a deal with you, you can still run this school however you see fit, I will not interfere here until I deem it is time to do so, if you give me the boy."  
  
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A/N: this will be short because I have to be at work in like 10 minutes, so thanks for reviewing and I'll post the next bit when I get off this afternoon! 


	5. Friends and Defiance

Chapter 5  
  
Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. If he just gave himself up, then they wouldn't hurt anyone. They would leave and then the school could be prepared for them when they tried to take control of it later.  
  
His mind instantly made up, he got to his feet, the previous pain in his scar forgotten, and he began walking confidently toward the assembled death eaters, positive that everyone would be safe once Voldemort had him.  
  
Before he had even taken a half dozen steps though, he was stopped be a hand gripping his shoulder.  
  
Spinning around with his wand drawn, he saw nothing but an arm suspended in thin air by an invisible body.  
  
Dropping his wand to his side at once, he glanced over his shoulder to make sure they wouldn't be overheard.  
  
Dumbledore and Voldemort were both absorbed in a growing war of words and had all their energies focused on each other.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he hissed, almost angrily over his shoulder.  
  
Turning back around, he saw a ripple like water for a second before an invisibility cloak fell to the ground revealing his two best friends.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he repeated, trying to keep his voice as quite as possible.  
  
Ron was the first to answer, "Dumbledore wanted us to give you this" he said simply, holding out a blank piece of parchment toward Harry.  
  
"What is it" he asked wearily, not taking his eyes off the item in Ron's outstretched hand.  
  
"It's a portkey to take you to Remus and Sirius" Hermione explained in a frantic whisper  
  
"What, no! I won't take that thing!"  
  
"Why not Harry! You-know-who will kill you when he finds you!" exclaimed Ron, still whispering at the same time.  
  
"Yeah, and he'll kill you, Dumbledore, and the rest of the school when he finds out I'm gone!" Harry argued back.  
  
Not quite knowing how to respond to this, Ron and Hermione just looked at him like he was insane.  
  
"You take it, use the cloak and find Ginny, I told her to hide in the woods. You three get to safety and he won't be able to use you against me if none of you are here" he practically ordered his best friends.  
  
"Are you crazy Harry? Haven't you heard what he's been saying to Dumbledore? He wants to KILL you" said Ron in amazement, not understanding his best friend at all.  
  
"He's right Harry, we won't leave you alone with that monster" whispered Hermione "please take the portkey, it's the only thing that can save you right now" she was almost pleading with him now.  
  
"No. Voldemort is here for me, and I will not see the castle attacked just because I don't want to face him. I will not watch as he kills everyone I care for just to see me in pain. If he has me, he'll leave and you will all be safe"  
  
"But why do you have to face him Harry?" asked Ron, his outstretched arm falling to his side, he knew there was no way to get Harry to take the portkey now, he had already made up his mind and no one could change it.  
  
"Because it's my destiny. My whole life has been leading up to this. I know I probably won't survive, but neither will he. I am the only one who can defeat him and he knows that. My blood runs through his veins and that makes him mortal. His life depends on me and if he kills me he will die too. If that is the only the wizarding world will survive, so be it" with that said, he began to back away from his friends, begging them with his eyes to understand and not to follow.  
  
He was so focused on them that he didn't notice the silence around him since Voldemort and Dumbledore had stopped arguing and were starring at each other with hate and contempt in their eyes, and he wasn't very careful where he was walking. His right foot landed on a fragile stick that snapped loudly under his weight, sounding like a cannon shot ringing through the still courtyard.  
  
Looking quickly toward Ron and Hermione, he motioned for them to get down, which they did quickly and silently, ducking behind the border of bushes that framed the forest.  
  
He then fell to the ground too, still cloaked in the outer layers of the forest and hidden behind a group of thick bushes.  
  
All hopes that the sound would be ignored were immediately dashed when every head in the group of death eaters and students alike whipped in the direction that the sound had originated from.  
  
Voldemort turned slowly toward him and the look of mild shock was immediately replaced with pleasure as he saw the pile of death eaters Harry had levitated to just inside the forest as he had stunned them. His red snake like eyes then turned back toward Dumbledore smiling the entire time.  
  
"And who might you be trying to hide you foolish old man? Did you honestly think he could escape from me that easily? Though I must say I am slightly impressed that he managed to stun so many of my servants without my noticing it. Let's see just how strong the little boy is, shall we?"  
  
Dumbledore's face fell immediately and years of pain and anguish washed over his normally kind features and his wand arm visibly shook, knowing what was to come and that there was nothing he could possible do to prevent it.  
  
"Crucio" said the cold voice triumphantly, aiming his wand toward the area of the forest that the sound had come from, and directly into Harry.  
  
When the curse hit him, Harry gritted his teeth fiercely, refusing to give the man any satisfaction by crying out in his pain, though it felt that glass were in his veins and his entire body were being pierced by thousands of white hot knives.  
  
Voldemort kept the curse on him for several agonizing moments before he released it, the gleam of a maniac in his eyes.  
  
Once the curse was lifted, Harry took in several shallow breaths of desperately needed oxygen before daring to open his eyes, expecting to be surrounded by death eaters, but he wasn't. The first sight that met his eyes was of Ron and Hermione still hidden from the death eaters by a large bush.  
  
Hermione was clinging to Ron with her face buried in his robes, her face completely hidden by her bushy hair. Her shoulders were trembling with the silent sobs that racked her body.  
  
Ron had his arms around her and his head on top of hers, holding her as close as possible. He was looking straight into Harry's eyes with emotional pain written all over his bloodless face.  
  
Harry's attention was soon taken though as the pain of the curse hit him again, much stronger than the first time.  
  
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Voldemort was angry that the insolent boy had not cried out in agony when the curse had hit him, he knew that the boy was out there hiding. Spinning on his heel, blood red robes billowing out behind him, he walked to the nearest death eaters and spoke to them so softly that nobody heard what was said, but it was revealed seconds later when five voices yelled in unison, all pointing their wands at the same spot in the forest, "Crucio" rang through the still air.  
  
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This time the curse hit him with pain he had never felt before. A fire ate through every vein, muscle, and bit of skin on his entire body.  
  
The pain was more intense than anything he had ever felt in his life and he felt as though his body were being torn apart from the inside out, but still he refused to cry out, and when the curse was lifted a full minute later, he still felt like it was upon him, burning his lungs with each shallow breath he took and still pumping the glass through his veins.  
  
He opened his eyes again and they fell back on the form of Ron still holding Hermione tight, but she was staring at him now as well, with tears staining her pale face.  
  
Harry looked back at Ron's face and saw something he never thought he would ever see on the red heads face, tears.  
  
Ron had a river of tears running down both of his cheeks as he stared back into Harry's face unblinking.  
  
Harry was forced to look away from the intense looks his friends were sending him, unable to see so much pain, pity, and grief in their usually fun filled eyes. He instead focused on his own arms.  
  
Had he been able to, he would have gasped at the sight. He had thousands of small streams of rich red blood covering both of his arms; as though the white hot needles he had felt piercing his skin had been real and not a figment of his imagination.  
  
He knew instantly that the curse he had just been under had been much stronger than anything he had ever faced before.  
  
'Well, that explains the looks on Ron and Hermione's faces' he thought grimly to himself. 'That curse should have killed me, and they probably think I'm insane since I am alive. How did I survive though? Why did I survive?' then it hit his pain filled mind.  
  
The answers to both of his questions became as bright as day, as though someone were in his mind and putting them there for him, so he decided to bring one more question to his brain,  
  
'What do I need to do to defeat him', and much to his relief, he knew the answer instantly. He smiled inwardly to himself before focusing on what he had to do.  
  
Vowing to himself that he would not let Voldemort find him lying in a blood heap, he pulled himself to his knees and caught sight of his friends again, trying to give them a reassuring look before he spoke in a raspy voice.  
  
"Thank you for everything, tell Sirius and Ginny I love them, please don't cry, none of this is anybody's fault but his. Don't worry about me, this is my decision and I know what I'm doing, I'll be alright" once he finished talking to his friends, he used the tree trunk next to him to pull himself to his feet, his legs wobbling precariously under the weight for a moment before steadying suddenly, allowing himself to not only support his weight, but to walk out of the forest radiating strength and confidence, his friends starring at his retreating back in amazement and sorrow.  
  
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A/N: well, sorry about leaving you guys hanging again, but I think it will be worth it, I hope anyways. There is one more chapter until the fight is over, and it will be posted either late tonight or early tomorrow. After that, everything concerning those at Hogwarts will be back to the present day for the most part, since the majority of the background information will be over with for them. I'm debating on weather or not to write about where Harry has been for the past three months now, or waiting until the end of the story, what would you like! I am very open to any and all suggestions you might have. Thanks again for reviewing, I will thank you all individually when I get more time. 


	6. Vanished

Chapter 6  
  
Voldemort on the other hand looked positively proud of himself as he approached Dumbledore again. The headmaster was being held by two of the death eaters after trying to stop the curse that had been sent into the woods.  
  
All of the other professors were now being restrained as well, and the students were being held at wand point, the dark lord just begging them to give his servants a reason to attack them.  
  
"What did you think of that you insolent old fool? The boy is probably either insane now, or if he's lucky, dead. If you had just given him to me in the first place, then he wouldn't have had to go through that." He said in a sing song voice, obviously very proud of himself and feeling no remorse at having tortured a sixteen year old boy.  
  
"I would highly recommend that you don't judge a thing till you know what's inside it Voldemort" said a clear and unwavering voice from the direction of the forbidden forest.  
  
Voldemort turned slowly around and saw what he had been dreading, the image of Harry Potter looking straight at him with his wand pointed right between his eyes.  
  
"But, you should be dead, how is this possible?!" exclaimed one of the death eaters that had participated in the curse moments earlier.  
  
"Because I am never going to give in, never going to give up, until this piece of filth is dead" came the icy reply.  
  
"This is impossible, no one could have survived that, you must have dodged it boy!" said one of the others who had participated accusingly.  
  
"No, I received your curse, but you see, I still have another fight left to fight, and I refuse to give in to your curses until I have fought that fight and won, so I would recommend you get out of my way. I think it's time you face the face that you will be beaten Voldemort."  
  
With that, the fight began. The students all sent curses at the death eaters surrounding them, and the teachers attacked their captors with a new wind of energy coursing through them.  
  
Harry began to walk toward Voldemort steadily, his green eyes full of a powerful fire that couldn't be put out, but as he drew with in thirty feet of his enemy, he heard someone familiar behind him scream in surprise, causing him to turn and run toward his earlier hiding spot. When he entered the area, he saw Ron and Hermione both lying unconscious on the cold forest floor, a swarm of dementors surrounding them.  
  
Harry didn't know where the sudden burst of energy came from, but he held his wand before himself and screamed "expecto patronum" at the top of his lungs, successfully producing a brilliant white stag and sending it toward the advancing dementors, ignoring the cold sensation in his own body and the screams growing louder in his ears.  
  
The patronus succeeded in driving the dementors back into the forest and began to circle Ron and Hermione like a type of self assigned sentry guard over his friends.  
  
Assured that they were in good hands, Harry turned around and headed back toward Voldemort, meeting his enemy in the middle of the manicured courtyard with pairs of dueling wizards on all sides of them.  
  
"Ah Harry, I thought you got scared for a moment there, running away like that, but thankfully I was wrong. Let us finish what I started fifteen years ago, shall we?"  
  
Voldemort then erected a shield around himself and Harry, successfully shielding any curses others might try to impose on them.  
  
"Shall we duel, Mr. Potter?"  
  
"Looking forward to it, Mr. Riddle" Harry answered a slight smirk on his face at Voldemort's expression at his words.  
  
"You will pay for that Potter!" he screamed and shouted a curse that sent Harry flying painfully into the back of the barrier, grunting as he hit it hard, but getting to his feet again quickly.  
  
"Expelliramus" Harry shouted back as he got back to his feet, but Voldemort just laughed as he side stepped the curse easily and sent Harry flying into the barrier again.  
  
"Come on now Harry, you aren't making this very challenging for me" Voldemort spat at the boy on the ground in front of him before saying "Crucio" and putting Harry back into a world of immense pain once again.  
  
This time though, Harry wasn't able to keep his screams inside and they burst from his mouth, so agonizing sounding that all the others fighting stopped their duels and starred at the sight in the middle of the courtyard in shock.  
  
Harry was withering on the ground in utter pain and unable to hide it for the first time that day. As they watched in amazement, they could see very easily why he was crying out. His robes were being shredded on his body and underneath them they could see blood pouring from thousands of needle sized holes all over his entire body, effectively coating his skin in a thick layer of the fluid as he continued to scream in pain for nearly ten minutes.  
  
Suddenly though, the screams ceased and his body fell limp on the grass that was now stained red. "Now it is done, the dark lord has succeeded in defeating the one they call his downfall. This pathetic bloody heap was not as strong as they all though now was he?"  
  
No one spoke a word as they starred at the pathetic sight before them. No one even breathed, praying it wasn't true.  
  
"Harry!!" someone shouted from inside the forest and immediately two death eaters left to catch the red headed gird that had just started running across the ground toward them. It was Ginny.  
  
The fighting began again, and it was obvious that the students and teachers were loosing the battle. Many students were lying on the ground unconscious from either curses or physical injuries, and no matter how many death eaters were beat, more seemed to always take their place. Even with Ron and Hermione now fighting after awakening in the forest they were still hopelessly outnumbered.  
  
Voldemort dropped the shield that was surrounding he and Harry and began to walk toward his servants that were restraining Ginny.  
  
"My, my, my, this is a pleasant surprise. If it isn't the love of Harry Potters' life come to try to rescue her pathetic boyfriend. You will pay for the company you choose to keep girl, with your life." Voldemort spat at the petite girl who was struggling fiercely against the death eaters grasp.  
  
Just then, another person joined the small group, gaining the attention of all present.  
  
"But perhaps I'll give Mr. Malfoy the honor of this task, seeing how much he and your boyfriend despised one another he might rather enjoy this task. What do you have to say Malfoy? Would you like to destroy the girl for me?"  
  
Ginny looked at Draco with her eyes burning with hate, but his next words shocked all four of them immensely.  
  
"No"  
  
"What do you mean no boy? This is an honor the dark lord has given you, you would be wise to see it as such." Said one of the death eaters holding Ginny  
  
"Listen to your father boy, he knows what he is talking about, though you will still be punished after this, I will let you live" said Voldemort icily.  
  
"No, she is innocent, I will not kill her, and I will not allow anyone else to kill her either." He said, never taking his eyes off the girl that was still struggling in the grasp of the two men who were much larger than herself.  
  
"Very well, I shall kill you both then. Put the girl down Malfoy, Nott, and go join the others, I will deal with these two children on my own" said the icy voice.  
  
The two death eaters did as they were told and turned their backs on the trio, Malfoy not even looking over his shoulder as his only son was about to die.  
  
Draco kneeled down in front of Ginny, taking her hands into his and speaking quietly to her.  
  
"Ginny, I'm sorry for everything I have put you and your family through. I didn't realize just how powerful Harry was or how brave until he said he was willing to give his life to save all of ours. I didn't realize I was on the losing until now. These men are monsters and they worship a monster. Can you ever forgive me?" he looked into her tear filled eyes for several moments before she closed them and nodded her hear, forgiving him.  
  
"As sweet as this is, it is time for the two of you to die now, both of you" said Voldemort cruelly from behind them.  
  
"No Voldemort, you are mistaken again. It is time for you to die not them" said a voice from behind the dark lord, who spun around in shock.  
  
"Potter, do you ever die?"  
  
"Not until you do Riddle, let them go and lets finish this once and for all"  
  
"No, I think I shall rather enjoy you having to watch your precious girlfriend die"  
  
"That will never happen Riddle, and you know it"  
  
Harry had been steadily moving closer to Ginny and Draco and had now successfully put himself between them and Voldemort. Something was missing though, Harry's hands were empty, his wand was nowhere in sight.  
  
"So you say Potter, but you seem to be forgetting something. You need a wand to defeat me, and you seem to have lost yours."  
  
"No Voldemort, I don't need a wand to defeat you."  
  
Voldemort looked confused for a moment before speaking again.  
  
"And what are you planning to do to me without a wand Potter?"  
  
"Destroy you once and for all by taking you to a place where there is no one else you can hurt, and where anyone who enters is forbidden to leave as long as they are alive."  
  
"And where might that be Potter"  
  
"It's a secret, you'll find out soon enough Tom, just be patient, and be prepared to die there, I know I am because there is no escape from hell" Harry said with a frightening looking smile on his face, making Draco think that the intensely powerful curses from earlier had defiantly taken their toll on Potters mind.  
  
Voldemort was enraged, he lifted his wand and pointed it straight at Harry's heart and screamed two words that echoed across the ground, catching the attention of death eaters and Hogwarts people alike. They all just starred in shock at what was about to happen. The last any of them had seen of Harry he had been lying in a bloody unbreathing heap in the middle of the courtyard, but now he was standing on a far side of the grounds between Voldemort and Draco and Ginny. He looked strong and radiated power greater than any of them had ever seen before, his bright green eyes lit with a deep fire and focused intently on the enemy before him with complete hatred.  
  
"AVADRA KEDAVRA" Voldemort screamed at the boy standing before him, sending a bright flash of green light right at his chest, but what happened next was still a complete mystery to the entire wizarding world.  
  
To those watching, they say Harry fly through the air as though hit with a strong force, but before his lifeless body hit the ground in front of Draco and Ginny, another bright light flashed through the grounds, but this one was white and it blinded everyone present for several moments. Once they were able to see again, Harry and Voldemort had vanished, and so had all the other death eaters that hadn't been stunned as well as all the dementors hiding in the forest.  
  
Dumbledore rushed up to Ginny and Draco who were both lying on the ground, afraid they were dead, but he was relieved to find that they had both just been knocked unconscious by the force of whatever energy it was that had caused Harry and all their enemies to vanish. Summoning stretchers for the two students and all the others that had been injured, Dumbledore took the two of them to the hospital wing immediately, hoping they had heard what had gone on between Harry and Voldemort and their stories might help him to find out what had just happened.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"How's he doing this morning Mary?"  
  
"About the same sir, maybe even a little better. It seems as though this boy has lived a rough past couple months, both emotionally and physically. He spent the entire night tossing and turning and muttering the same few sentences in his sleep."  
  
"What was he saying, perhaps it could help us find out who he is." Said the doctor, while he carefully pulled back the sheets covering the boy to examine him and see if his injuries had begun to heal at all within the past two week that he had been in their care.  
  
"Well, I couldn't make it all out, but I did catch something along the lines of 'hide in the forest' or something and he kept saying something about 'if he has me then he'll leave you alone'. And then he said some names, but nothing about them other than he was sorry to leave them and then there was one he kept saying he loved, a girl named Ginny.  
  
I don't know what to make of the other names though, they were strange, so I don't know if they are real people or just some figments of his imagination, there was Dumbledore, Remus, Sirius, Hermione, Ron, and Draco. What do you make of all of this doctor?"  
  
"I don't know Mary, if only he would talk when he was awake instead of just starring at the ceiling with that blank haunted expression on his face we could find out who he is and where he belongs." The doctor groaned in frustration.  
  
The past two weeks had been some of the hardest the young had been forced to endure during the course of his short career.  
  
After the boys violent nightmare had subsided and the strange tattoo had been discovered, a team of the brightest and most talented doctors in the whole of London had evaluated the boy and all had said the same thing.  
  
He shouldn't be alive. 


	7. Missing Persons

Chapter 7  
  
Dr. Jacobs had to agree with them as he examined the boy yet again. Even after two weeks of being in the hospital he still looked the same as he had when he came stumbling through the doors of the emergency room. The only improvement that the boy had made since that day was that he had regained consciousness to a certain degree.  
  
The morning of the third day he had been there he had opened his eyes mysteriously, but that was all.  
  
He would lay in the bed unmoving for hours on end as he starred up at the white ceiling of the hospital, occasionally falling into a restless sleep and only then did he stir or utter a sound.  
  
He would toss back and forth on the bed, muttering strange and incoherent sentences as he did so, as though he were having a very vivid dream, but it would all stop as soon as he awoke.  
  
His eyes would snap open without warning and he would be back to the same as before.  
  
The doctor and the nurse had tried repeatedly to get him to at least tell them his name, but thus far they had been unsuccessful.  
  
Other than his opening his eyes though, everything remained almost the same.  
  
The boys' entire body was still covered in the horrendous dark bruises and deep gashes that he had come in with, but some of the smaller bruises had begun to fade slightly and the smaller cuts had begun to close, but these small improvements were easily overlooked when one saw the much worse injuries that had yet to heal.  
  
As the doctor began his exam, his once again took stock of his extensive injuries, wondering not for the first time how the boy was alive.  
  
His right arm bore a cast to support the shattered bones and his chest and abdomen were wrapped tightly to allow the broken ribs to heal. His open wounds though were left open, too old to stitch up and left to close on their own where there was no doubt they would leave terrible scars.  
  
As he was listening to the bruised heart and lungs of his patient at the end of the exam, he almost jumped back in shock as he noticed the boys eyes were open and starring right at him instead of at the ceiling.  
  
He had of course seen the boys eyes before, and even examined them, but this time was different. The eyes were focused on him and he knew the boy was coherent enough to know what he was looking at.  
  
The eyes were unnaturally green, almost the color of shining emeralds within the battered face and the doctor almost faltered under their intensity.  
  
It was almost as though the boy were not just looking at him, but through his body and into his soul, judging him and seeing his weaknesses.  
  
The doctor broke the gaze almost immediately and was even more shocked to find the boys eyes never leaving him as he made his way toward the nurse, giving her his stethoscope before returning back to the boys bedside.  
  
"Can you tell me your name boy?" he spoke gently to the child who was still looking into his soul.  
  
But the boy didn't answer him, he just continued to gaze into his face unflinching.  
  
The doctor repeated his question, but when it became obvious that he would receive no answer, he stood and proceeded toward the door, motioning for the nurse to accompany him.  
  
When they reached the end of the hallway, Dr. Jacobs began to whisper to the nurse frantically.  
  
"Has he ever done that before today?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Looked at you like that? I know he has had his eyes opened for a while, but has he ever actually seen you? Like he did with me, following me around with his eyes like that?"  
  
"No, never or I would have told you. Are you alright Chris? You look as though you have just seen a ghost or something."  
  
The doctor was so distracted that he didn't even realize that Mary had just called him by his given name instead of his proper title.  
  
"I don't know Mary, there was something about his eyes, they were strange, like he was looking inside me or something. That boy in there is not like normal people, he's different." He said as he ran his hand through his short blonde hair in frustration.  
  
"What do you mean Chris?"  
  
"I don't know, but his eyes are so intense. Too intense for a boy his age, like he's seen and experienced more than anyone should. I don't know, he seems different, but not like anyone I have ever met. I can't help but feel like I could trust him with my life. Does this sound strange? Has this case driven me to insanity?" he asked, looking into her face with a grim smile on his face.  
  
"Not at all Chris, I happen to agree with you, about everything. I almost feel safe around him, safer than if I were surrounded by a dozen police. I wonder who this boy is to have been through so much when he is so young."  
  
"Well, the authorities have found no record of a missing child fitting his description in the past fifteen years, since he was an infant, so it's on to the next step."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"His description was published in all of the local papers this morning. It's taken this long just to get the authorities to agree to publish the article since we have no idea who did this.  
  
They're worried that he escaped and whoever did this will come and try to get him back, but what other choice do we have now?  
  
Somebody knows him and what happened to him, we just have to pray that whoever comes is not the one who did this.  
  
Go on back in with him, and page me if he speaks or if anything in his condition changes." He concluded as he turned to go and check on his other patients, and the nurse obeyed and went back into the room with the boy.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Since the school term had ended at the close of the memorial service two weeks earlier, Albus Dumbledore was sitting at the head table in the great hall eating breakfast with a few of the other teachers.  
  
He turned to the man sitting on his left and was not surprised to see the man pushing his food around on his plate, lost in his own thoughts.  
  
"Sirius, you will be no help to the search if you don't take care of yourself."  
  
The younger man looked up at his former headmaster with desperation written over his normally kind features.  
  
"I'm sorry Albus, but I'm just not hungry. All I can think about is Harry and why he would be willing to risk his life for all of us. Why wouldn't he just take that portkey and come to Remus and I, we would have protected him no matter what the cost."  
  
"I think that is the reason he decided not to take it. He was worried about you two being hurt or killed for him."  
  
"It's not his place to worry about us Albus. He's just a boy, he shouldn't have such a weight placed on his shoulders. It should have been the other way around. I'm his godfather and I should have been protecting him!" he said furiously, slamming his fist into the table top, rattling all the other goblets and getting the attention of the others present.  
  
"Calm down Padfoot, we'll find him, we've just been looking in the wrong places" said the brown haired man beside him.  
  
"How do you know we'll find him Moony! How can you be so sure he's even alive! He vanished with Voldemort and about fifty death eaters and dementors! Wherever they are, they probably tortured and killed him instantly if he wasn't already dead. It's been three and a half bloody months! He's just a boy, he's not immortal, there is no way he could have survived that curse again without Lily's protection, and Ginny and Draco said the curse did hit him." he yelled frantically at his best friend.  
  
"PADFOOT WOULD YOU LISTEN TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING!" screamed Remus at his face before composing himself again "This is Harry we're talking about here. He's faced this maniac four different times and survived. He's stronger than any of us and I believe that he's still alive out there somewhere, we just don't know where yet. All we can do is be optimistic and keep searching for him until we find him."  
  
Sirius was shocked at the amount of raw emotion his friend was showing. Remus was never much on speeches and he was usually so reserved and calm, but he had just yelled at Sirius at the top of his lungs, and as hard as it was for him to admit it, Remus was right. They had to keep searching, they couldn't just give up hope because everyone else in the wizarding world had.  
  
"Remus is right Black, just because the rest of the world has given up hope, you need to keep looking for your godson" said a voice from the other side of the headmaster.  
  
The words that the other person had spoken shocked every person at the table into silence. It was common knowledge that Severus Snape detested the two marauders, and disliked the son of prongs even more, but something had happened to him the day Harry had disappeared. He ceased to be the cold and heartless potions master they had all known for so many years, but only when he was away from the prying eyes of the students.  
  
Deep down, he pitied Black, though he would never admit it to the man. Black had had his name cleared only two weeks before Harry had disappeared when Pettigrew was spotted in Diagon Alley by several wizards who had all spoken in Black's defense.  
  
He had just begun to assist Remus with the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes to spend more time with Harry when this had all happened. He and Remus had been searching endlessly all over the wizarding world for any sign of the boy or the dark lord, but so far they hadn't turned up anything.  
  
Since term had ended, the potions master had begun to help with the search as well, and he had been just as unsuccessful.  
  
Just then, a handful of owls swooped into the room and headed for the table they were all sitting at, most of the laden with various newspapers for the professors.  
  
Remus and Sirius each removed a copy of the Daily Prophet from the owls that had come to them, hurriedly skimming the headlines for anything relevant to their search.  
  
Dumbledore had received his usual stack of about eight different newspapers, not only the Daily Prophet, but several muggle papers as well, but instead of reading them there at the table, he rose and said his farewells to the other staff members and retired to his office.  
  
Once he arrived at his office, the aged headmaster sat behind his antique desk and began to sift through the stack of newspapers before him.  
  
Many members of the staff wondered why the powerful wizard was interested in the news from the muggle word, but as he repeatedly told them, the muggles were quite remarkable people and one never knew when something the muggles had to say might be of value to the wizarding world.  
  
As his eyes scanned the various headlines on the first several papers, his mind began to drift to the issue of where Harry might have sent himself and Voldemort, and how they were going to find that place.  
  
As his thoughts wandered to these and other things, he continued to skim the headlines of the paper in his hand, and his eyes fell on a small article on the second page of the main London paper that caused his mind to focus instantly. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Unidentified Child in Serious Condition at Local Hospital  
  
On June 4th a severely injured boy entered the emergency room of St. Josephs Hospital in downtown London, sources at the hospital report. The unidentified boy is reported to have sustained life threatening injuries before wandering into the emergency room of the hospital around ten pm on June 4th. The local authorities have been unable to match the boy to any children reported missing and are asking that anyone who may know anything about the boy or about those who injured him contact the hospital or their local authorities. The boy appears to be fourteen to fifteen years of age with shoulder length black hair and green eyes. He has a pale complexion and slim build, standing five foot 7 inches in height. He was wearing what appeared to be black robes with a school crest emblazoned over the right breast pocket. Anyone with any information regarding the boy or the attackers should contact the police immediately.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N: Well, there's another chapter finished! I hope you all enjoy it and don't worry, the next chapter is written already and I'll post it later today so the cliffy won't last that long! Now I am going to thank you all by name. Thank you: Murgatroyd Hyper Max Nicky Starry eyed girl Kodee Charlie girl Maxennce Grey AgiVega Radiant Moon Wolf Jessika Organa Solo Shiann Visbond Evil spapple pie x2 Mandy x2 Martini Sk8reagle Usakoesm Lauren Bucky x2 PR Lucken  
  
Thank you all for your kind words, they really boost my ego ya know! The next chapter will be posted later today and if I get busy, I may be able to get two more chapters up today since I am the worst procrastinator in the world and I have three exams this week and I really need something to convince myself not to study lol! Hope you like this. 


	8. Identity

Chapter 8 Dumbledore's hands were trembling by the time he finished the short article and just starred at the paper in shock for several minutes, not daring to hope that the boy might be Harry, because he was worried about having that hope dashed the instant he set eyes on the youth in question at the hospital.  
  
If the boy in the hospital were Harry, then what had happened to him during the three months between the day he vanished and the night he entered the hospital?  
  
Quickly restoring some of his previous control, he got to his feet and went out the door of his office toward the Great Hall to find his former students.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Once Dumbledore had exited the hall, the other professors had followed suite, leaving Remus, Sirius, and Snape behind. The three former enemies were gathered at the center of the table pouring over a large map that was spread across the surface before them.  
  
"We have already searched there Black and we found nothing, we need to search the valleys in Switzerland, we haven't looked there yet" said Snape tersely to the man across from him.  
  
"I know we have searched there Snape, but that was at the beginning. That area is very secluded and full of caves, the perfect place for fifty people to go and not be noticed! We need to search there again. How do we know they have been in the same place all this time, they could be moving around" answered Sirius in almost a growl.  
  
"Why don't we just check both places, one today and one tomorrow" said Remus, trying to pacify both men before the curses started flying.  
  
Just then, the doors of the hall burst open and Dumbledore came through them almost running to the front of the hall, startling all three men into silence.  
  
"Albus, what is it? What happened?" asked Snape, almost dreading the answer.  
  
"I think I've found him" he said simply, thrusting the paper he had been carrying into Remus' hands, his own still trembling uncontrollably.  
  
Remus flipped through the paper and within seconds found the article Dumbledore had read moments before. "Unidentified Child in Serious Condition at London Hospital" he read out loud.  
  
He read the beginning of the article to himself, but when he got to the description of the boy he began to read out loud again.  
  
"The boy appears to be fourteen to fifteen years of age with shoulder length black hair and green eyes. He has a pale complexion and slim build, standing five foot 7 inches in height. He was wearing what appeared to be black robes with a school crest emblazoned over the right breast pocket." his voice trailed off then as he met the gazes of the other three men.  
  
Sirius' face was slowly breaking into a smile and Snape's face showed an expression of relief. As Remus met their eyes, his face broke into a smile as well, but looking back at Dumbledore's grim expression he became confused.  
  
"What's wrong Albus? This sounds like Harry exactly! All we need to do is go to this hospital, identify him, and tell them that Sirius is Harry's guardian and they give him to us and we bring him back here. This is great news!" he exclaimed, and judging by the expressions on the other two men's faces, they felt the same way.  
  
"Yes Remus, if this boy is indeed Harry, it is great news that he has been found, but did you read the article carefully? If it is Harry, then he was found in his Hogwarts robes, the same thing he was wearing the day he disappeared. This means that he was not even found by muggles before he turned up at the hospital. If he had been, then he wouldn't still be wearing his robes. He hasn't been seen for fourteen weeks, and we can only assume that wherever he was, he was with Voldemort and his supporters.  
  
These past months I can't even begin to imagine what he went through, and we can only hope that if this is him, that he is able to recover from whatever has happened to him.  
  
Now, I must ask the three of you to dress as muggles and go to this hospital to see if this is indeed young Mr. Potter.  
  
Sirius, if it is Harry, we will need to get some paper work drawn up by the minister to convince the muggle authorities that you are indeed his guardian so they will release him to you, but let's not worry about that until we need to. Contact me as soon as you have any news, good luck.  
  
And with that, the three men exited the hall quickly to head toward their individual quarters to get a change of cloths.  
  
When they were all dressed about five minutes later, they met in the entrance hall and set off on the familiar path towards the village of Hogesmede where they appearated to Diagon Alley and from there walked to ten blocks through muggle London to St. Josephs Hospital.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
At around noon, Dr. Chris Jacobs made his way back toward the room that the boy was in when he ran into Mary coming out of another patients room.  
  
"Dr. Jacobs, I assume you are heading to the boy's room?" she asked, and when he nodded his head she continued "I have been there all morning and nothing has changed yet, I was just on my way back as well"  
  
"Is there anyone with him right now?"  
  
"No, but he was sleeping when I left about ten minutes ago, we had an emergency come in and I was paged to assist."  
  
"Has he said anything else in his dreams that you know of?"  
  
"No, the same that he always says. I hope that he recovers from this alright. He seems to innocent to have all these issues"  
  
"I agree. Hopefully whoever did this is caught and punished"  
  
"Have you been able to make any sense of what he said when he came in, you know, about him being gone?"  
  
"No, I don't even know if he knew what he was saying then, he was in pretty bad shape that night, he still is."  
  
Just then, he felt the pager on his hip vibrate, and looking down, he recognized the number listed as that of the admitting desk.  
  
"You mind making a quick stop on our way up? Admitting just paged me." He told the nurse.  
  
"No, of course not, we're close enough to stop by" she answered with a smile.  
  
The pair then turned around and headed off down a large hallway away from the quiet areas of patient rooms and into the main hub of the busy hospital.  
  
As they neared the main desk, the first thing the doctor noticed was the trio of men who were currently arguing with a frazzled looking clerk.  
  
"I'm sorry sir, but you will just have to be patient! I paged the doctor and he is on his way down, but he can't just appear here instantly! Now would you three please take seats and I will call you when he arrives."  
  
The men grudgingly obeyed the nurse at the smart persuasion of another man.  
  
As the doctor approached closer, he noticed that the men all had strange appearances. All three men were wearing black slacks and black long sleeves shirts with black boots, which in itself was strange singe it was the middle of June. As he looked at them individually, he saw that the one that the other two obeyed was average height with shoulder length brown hair flecked with premature gray, but he had a kind face, though stern.  
  
The one next to him on the left had greasy black hair, sallow skin and dark eyes and looked as though he could be quite intimidating if he so desired.  
  
The one on the right also had shoulder length hair and he was slightly taller than the other two, and his face way lined with worry and anguish and his face looked as though he could be down right scary if given the desire.  
  
When he approached the desk, the clerk approached him and turned her back to the three men who were all watching them intently.  
  
"Did you page me Kristy"  
  
"Yes Doctor Jacobs, those three men have come to inquire about the boy you have been caring for."  
  
Of all the things he had expected her to say, this was not one of them.  
  
"What!" was all he could manage  
  
"You heard right. They say the boy disappeared on March 4th and until now have seen no sign of him."  
  
"Why didn't they report him missing? Why has it taken them so long to come find him?"  
  
"I didn't ask sir, but they are adamant to see the boy, and to speak with yo about his condition."  
  
"Very well, what are their names?"  
  
"The calmest one is called Lupin, I would recommend speaking to him, the other two seem rather volatile, so to speak."  
  
Thanking the nurse, he walked toward the men who all got to their feet as he approached.  
  
"Hi, my name is Dr. Chris Jacobs. You have come about the boy in my care?" he asked politely, holding his hand out to the men. The one in the middle took it and introduced the others.  
  
"Nice to meet you, I am Remus Lupin, this is Sirius Black and Severus Snape. We saw the article in the paper this morning and think the boy may be a student at the school we teach at. May we see him?" he asked politely, but his voice was demanding.  
  
"Certainly, but first I must ask you a few questions. Since we know nothing about the boy or who did this to him, we are being careful about who we allow into his room."  
  
"That's quite alright. We would be willing to answer any questions you might have."  
  
"Good, now what is your relationship to the boy?" but instead of Remus answering, the taller black haired man spoke up, Sirius.  
  
"I am his godfather and one of his professors at school, Remus and Severus are also his professors."  
  
"Very well. How did he come to be in the hands of whoever did this?"  
  
This time, it was Severus who answered the question.  
  
"He was outside with some other students and he was abducted from the school grounds."  
  
"Ok, why wasn't it reported to the authorities?"  
  
"The school he attends is not in England. His disappearance was reported to the local authorities though, how he came to London we do not know" answered Lupin smoothly.  
  
"Where are the boys parents at?"  
  
"Dead, they died when he was a year old and I have custody over him now" said Black.  
  
"Last question, are there any distinguishing characteristics about the boy that would allow us to make a positive i.d?"  
  
At this question, all three men looked at one another before Lupin answered.  
  
"He has a scar on his forehead shaped like a bolt of lightning."  
  
"Is that the only distinguishing characteristic the boy has, no tattoos or anything?" he asked, afraid that the boy in the room might not be the one they were looking for.  
  
At the mention of a tattoo though, all three men seemed worried and even a little scared. Remus was the first to regain control though as he answered.  
  
"No, when he was taken he had no tattoos, but he has been missing for three months and we have no idea what he did while he was gone."  
  
"Very well, I have not noticed that yet, but then again he's in pretty bad shape right now. Do you have any idea who would do this to him?"  
  
"Yes, and he has already been apprehended" said Severus, looking at the doctor with his dark eyes unblinking.  
  
"Thank you for answering my questions, if you would now just follow me, lets see if this is the boy you are looking for shall we?"  
  
He stood and began to walk toward the long hallway, the three men following close behind. As they reached the room, the man called Sirius looked through the door and tears came to his eyes as he rushed into the room and kneeled beside the bed with tears running down his face.  
  
"Is this the boy you have been looking for?"  
  
"Yes, yes it is" whispered Remus, and the doctor was surprised to see tears in his eyes as well.  
  
"What's his name?"  
  
"Harry, Harry Potter" answered Snape as he joined the other two men in the room.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 


	9. High Hopes

Chapter 9  
  
The doctor just stood in the doorway and watched the sight unfold before his eyes.  
  
Black had pulled a chair up to the side of the bed and was gently holding the boys injured right hand in his and speaking quietly to him.  
  
Lupin and Snape had stood by the bed in shock for several minutes before going to the far side of the room to talk without being overheard by either himself or the boys godfather.  
  
His curiosity getting the best of him as he watched the hushed conversation, he strode purposely forward and came to a stop in between the men who had gone silent at his arrival.  
  
"Is it safe to assume that this is the boy you are looking for then?"  
  
"Yes, this is Harry" said Remus miserably while looking back over his shoulder at the boy on the bed before asking the question that had been hanging in the back of his mind since had read the article in the paper, "how serious are the injuries?"  
  
"Quite, he has bruising to his heart and both of his lungs as well as most of his other internal organs. His left lung has been punctured by one of several broken ribs and his right arm and collar bone are almost completely shattered and he will never fully recover use of it. His right leg has been broken in three separate places and his knee is useless as well. The external bruising and lacerations are all quite deep, in fact, I haven't even been able to see any improvement in those injuries at all. It's a miracle he survived all he has been through" he concluded, once again running his hand through his hair.  
  
"Has he waken up at all yet?" asked Snape quietly, afraid of the answer.  
  
"Yes, he regained consciousness about a week and a half ago, he's just sleeping right now"  
  
At this statement, all three men looked at the doctor hopefully.  
  
"Has he said anything about what happened?" asked Remus  
  
"Not while he is awake no, but when he is asleep he seems to suffer from some pretty vivid nightmares and he keeps mentioning the names Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Dumbledore, Sirius, and Remus. Originally we though he was talking nonsense but seeing as the two of you are here, apparently he wasn't" the doctor smiled at this statement.  
  
"Did he say anything else?" asked Snape.  
  
"Well, he kept saying he was sorry and to tell Ginny he loved her, but that's just about all, the rest of the time he was speaking incoherently."  
  
"Why won't he wake up?" asked Sirius while never taking his eyes of the boys face.  
  
"I had the nurse give him a pretty strong sedative so he could get some peaceful sleep. His nightmares are so violent that I'm afraid he'll just cause more damage to himself by thrashing around like he does. He should wake up in a couple hours" the doctor said while giving the men a reassuring smile that faltered as soon as Snape spoke.  
  
"Why did you ask us if he had any tattoos?"  
  
Rather than answering the mans question, he walked up to the bed with the pair following him and pulled back the blankets that covered the boy to his shoulders except for his bandaged right arm which Sirius still held.  
  
He removed the blankets down to the boys waist and gently unbuttoned the cuff of his pajama shirts left arm and rolled the sleeve up as he revealed the underside of the thin pale arm.  
  
Apparently shocked by what they saw, Remus stumbled backward and was caught by Snape before he fell to the floor.  
  
Sirius dropped the boys right hand as though it had suddenly caught fire and jumped to his feet, sending the chair he had been seated on to the floor with a crash.  
  
"Oh my God, Harry" was all Sirius was able to say as he stood in shock and starred at the hideous tattoo on his godsons arm.  
  
Once Remus had regained his footing enough to stand on his own, Snape began to rub his own arm subconsciously as he too starred at the thing the doctor had revealed.  
  
"Doctor, would you please excuse us for a moment?" said Snape as he steered his friends out the door and into the empty hallway.  
  
Doctor Jacobs had not been expecting such a reaction from these men who had seemed like they cared so much for this boy and he was starting to wonder just what the symbol on his arm was meant to represent to these strange men.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"We need to contact Albus and try to figure what happened to Harry. Remus, could you apparate to somewhere where you can use the floo network and bring the headmaster back here?" asked Snape looking at the man beside him.  
  
"Yeah, I go to the Weasley's home. Author and Molly are trustworthy. Give me about an hour. Sirius, pull yourself together, Harry needs you and we don't know why he has the dark mark, it could very well have been forced on him. Go back in there so he has someone he cares about present when he wakes up" said the man to his best friend.  
  
"You're right Moony, I shouldn't have reacted that way, it is still Harry and we don't know what he's gone through lately. Bring Albus back and maybe he can explain this, be careful" and he left the others to rejoin Harry and the doctor in the room.  
  
Snape nodded his head to the werewolf as he too went back into the room, and Remus walked briskly down the hall and back out into the busy street and headed back toward the Leaky Cauldron where he could safely apparate to the Weasley's and not be overheard as he contacted the headmaster of Hogwarts.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Due to what all had occurred at Hogwarts that year and the questions surrounding the outcome of the attack on the castle, the Weasley's had invited Hermione to spend the summer at the Burrow to not only be close by at the first sign of any news, but to also keep Ginny company and herself safe.  
  
The past two weeks had passed uneventfully for Ron, Hermione, and Ginny and they spent the majority of their waking hours in the living room talking about innocent topics, reading, or playing chess by themselves.  
  
Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George were involved in various aspects with the search for Harry and Voldemort outside of England, and were rarely seen at the Burrow, and if they did come by it was for only a couple of hours to get a quick nap, a home cooked meal and a shower before heading out again to search.  
  
Molly was almost always at the ministry with Arthur assisting him with his work there.  
  
After the battle had occurred, many of the members of the ministry had been discovered to have dark ties thanks to the apprehended death eaters and were therefore in custody awaiting trial or had already been sent to Azkaban by the new minister of magic, an old friend of Dumbledore's named Fletcher.  
  
The former minister, Fudge, had been forced to step down from his position by a public outcry from the entire wizarding community since he had refused to believe that Voldemort had returned and therefore had contributed to the attack on the castle.  
  
These developments caused Author Weasley to be promoted to head of the department of magical cooperation and he was responsible for about a hundred lower ranking employees and was in charge of the search efforts. His wife was more than happy to help him out several days a week since her home was unusually calm after all but two of her children became involved in the search, and she knew that Ginny and Hermione would keep Ron out of trouble.  
  
As Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were sitting around the small living room at the burrow working on their potions essays for the next term, (with no argument from Ron about doing homework so early in the summer) they were discussing how nice it had been to have Professor's Lupin and Black for Defense Against the Dark Arts and how they hoped they would both be returning to teach the next term, the last for Ron and Hermione when a loud banging on the door was heard.  
  
All three pulled their wands, since they were expecting no one, knowing all to well what would happen as soon as they let their guard down.  
  
Ginny got to her feet first and went to open the door, revealing a winded and flushed Remus Lupin.  
  
"Professor! What are you doing here? Did you find something?" she asked in a rush, and she held her breath awaiting his answer.  
  
Her astonished voice at seeing him got the attention of the other two and they came skidding to the door immediately.  
  
"Calm down you three, I'll explain everything in a moment, but could I first use your fire to contact the headmaster, it's important"  
  
"Certainly, come on in" answered Hermione instantly as the pair of red heads still waited expectantly for the man to answer Ginny's question, but he just walked passed them and followed Hermione into the living room.  
  
He took a pinch of the powder from the jar on the mantle and threw it into the flames, and when the fire turned a bright green color, he called Dumbledore's name into the flames.  
  
A few seconds later the call was answered by the old mans smiling head appearing in the midst of the roaring flames.  
  
"Remus, what is it?" he asked, the smile fading from his face once he got a good look at the younger mans anxious face.  
  
"We were right Albus, but there have been some unexpected developments, perhaps you should come to the Weasley's and accompany me back to Sirius and Severus, it would be better to explain this in person."  
  
"Very well, I shall come at once, but while you are waiting for me to arrive, you might want to explain what you have found so far to the students standing behind you there" he said, with a small smile back on his face before his face disappeared from the fire with a small pop.  
  
Remus had forgotten that he hadn't been alone in the room in his haste to speak to the headmaster, and as he turned around to face those behind him, he was met with three very confused but hopeful faces.  
  
"Perhaps you three should take a seat" he suggested, and was surprised when they all did so on the couch, Ginny between Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Please professor, what is going on? What have you found out?" asked Ron hesitantly.  
  
"This morning there was an article in a muggle newspaper about an unidentified boy who wandered into St. Josephs hospital two weeks ago. The boy matched Harry's description so Sirius, Severus, and I went to check it out this morning and the boy in the hospital is Harry" his words were cut off by a startled cry from the couch.  
  
"You found him! How is he? Is he alright? When can he come home?" exclaimed Ginny from her place on the couch, her hands tightly clasped in those of her friend and brother.  
  
Her face was glowing in excitement and there were tears of joy running down her face.  
  
Ron and Hermione appeared to be in shock though, both of them with their jaws hanging open in disbelief at their professors words. 


	10. Unanswered Questions

Chapter 10  
  
"Don't get too excited Ginny, we may have found him, but we still have a long way to go here" he advised the nearly delirious girl before him, effectively getting Ron and Hermione's attention again.  
  
"What are you saying sir?" asked Ron wearily.  
  
"All I'm saying is that we may have found him, but the hard part isn't over yet"  
  
"What do you mean professor? We found him didn't we, surely we can overcome anything else" said Ginny desperately, but to their surprise, it was Hermione who answered.  
  
"Remus, are you saying what I think you're saying?" she asked with a worried expression on her face.  
  
"I don't know Hermione, what are you thinking?"  
  
"Do you have the article with you?"  
  
"Yes" he said hesitantly, still not quite sure what the girl was getting at  
  
"Could I read it please?"  
  
"Certainly" answered Remus as he pulled the folded up article out of his pocket and handed it over to Hermione.  
  
Ron and Ginny just sat perfectly still and wondered what in the world their professor and friend were talking about until Hermione unfolded the letter and they both craned their heads to read it as well.  
  
Neither of them got much from the article except for the fact that Harry was hurt, causing Ginny to go into a fresh wave of tears, but Hermione found something else, the same thing Albus had found that morning.  
  
"He was wearing his school robes when they found him?" she asked quietly, looking to Remus for conformation, who nodded his head.  
  
"What are you thinking Hermione?" asked Ron nervously.  
  
"That Harry was unable to be found or to contact us for the past three months because he has been with you-know-who until he turned up at the muggle hospital. How bad is it Remus?"  
  
"Not good, he has some pretty serious injuries but what worries me more is the fact that the doctor who has been taking care of him said that he hasn't spoken a word to anybody since he arrived and that his sleep is plagued with some pretty serious nightmares. This is part of the reason I want Albus to come back to the hospital with me, to see if we can get him out of there anytime soon."  
  
"That's what I was worried about. I know that if Harry had been able to contact us since he disappeared, he would have. Can we go with you to the hospital?" she asked shakily, but a voice from behind her answered instead of Remus.  
  
"I don't think that would be such a good idea just yet child. It would arouse too many questions if too many people went to see Harry while he is still in the muggle hospital. Hopefully the ministry will have the forms we need by tomorrow and we can take him back to Hogwarts to recover and you all would be more than welcome to see him there" the four people all turned suddenly to see the headmaster standing behind them with a worried expression on his face.  
  
"He's my boyfriend! I want to see him!" yelled Ginny in a most uncharacteristic fashion to her professor and headmaster.  
  
"Ginny calm down! Isn't it enough to just know he is alive? Twenty minutes ago we didn't even know if we would ever see him again. You've gone three and a half months not knowing anything, can't you go twenty-four hours knowing he's alive and wait to see him?" asked Ron, trying to calm his little sister down a bit.  
  
"I just want to make sure he's alright, that this isn't some cruel dream" she muttered almost to herself, looking up into the eyes of the headmaster and trying to plead with him.  
  
"I know how you feel Ginny, but let me first make sure it will be safe for him to have visitors. Remus, we had better get back before Sirius and Severus drive the staff of the hospital crazy with their bickering" and with that, the two men apparted to Diagon Alley, leaving a still fuming Ginny behind.  
  
"What does he mean by saying it might not be safe to go see Harry! Of course it's safe, it's Harry we're talking about here, not some common death eater wearing the dark mark!" she exclaimed as she jumped to her feet and stormed up the stairs to her room.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Not ten minutes after Remus had left the hospital, Sirius and Severus were in the heat of one of their famous arguments in Harry's room, this one about weather or not to tell the other members of the staff about their discovery when they got back to Hogwarts.  
  
"They have a right to know what's going on!" yelled Sirius  
  
"Not until we know what's going on ourselves!" retorted Severus  
  
"What do you mean? We found him didn't we!" Sirius questioned, his voice growing increasingly louder as the argument continued  
  
"Think about what you're saying Black for once in your pitiful existence listen to the sorry excuse for a brain that has to be under that thick skull somewhere. What if they see the dark mark on his arm huh? What then?" countered the potions master, his old bitterness and hate for Sirius resurfacing again.  
  
"What do you mean by that statement, Snape?" said the other man, and Dr. Jacobs could have sworn he was growling as he said it.  
  
"Only that he will be shunned by the entire wizarding world if that gets out, no matter what the circumstances surrounding his acquisition of it were. It is now common knowledge that the boy is the most powerful wizard ever, more powerful than even Albus, and if the word got out that the boy bears the mark of the dark lord on his arm, he will be marked as evil and feared by all" concluded Snape in a quite tone so as not to be overheard by anyone out in the hall, it was already to late for the Doctor, he had heard too much and his memories would have to be altered shortly.  
  
"Do you really think they will turn on him like that? He's the one who rid the world of Voldemort after all, surely they wouldn't abandon him like that, would they?" his eyes were deeply pained as he thought of the world his godson fought so hard to protect would turn on him as a result of the hideous mark on his arm.  
  
Snape again subconsciously rubbed his own arm through his shirt as he looked back at the man beside the bed, not noticing the arrival or Remus and Albus through the door behind him.  
  
"You know as well as I do how cruel people can be when there is even the smallest bit of evidence in favor of betrayal or dark activity Black. Look what they did to you after all, no one was willing to listen to reason when they arrested you, they just knew you had a wand and assumed that meant you killed Pettigrew. Just think what they will do if they find out the boy-who- lived has the dark mark on his arm."  
  
"You're right Severus, no one can know about this, it would destroy Harry if he were shunned like you and I were. He's been through far too much already and who knows if he'll even be alright when he comes out of this. Please pull out of this Harry" he said, never once taking is eyes from the sleeping form of his godson.  
  
"Sirius, Severus, how is he?" came the voice of the headmaster from behind them.  
  
Severus approached the elderly man and quickly filled him in on what they had learned thus far, including the fact that the dark mark had been tattooed on the boys arm, and at this revelation, the headmasters gaze fell to the floor for a moment before he too approached the bed.  
  
Dr. Jacobs had already decided that the two black haired men were completely insane, what with all their talk about evil wizards and dark marks, and this man joined them in that category as soon as he walked through the door.  
  
He was tall with long snow white hair and a beard that reached his waist. He was wearing what appeared to be navy blue robes that reached to the floor, covering the boots that clicked sharply with each step he took.  
  
"I am Albus Dumbledore, are you the doctor who has been treating Harry?"  
  
"Yes sir, since the night he arrived. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have about his condition."  
  
"Thank you doctor, but I have only one question right now, when will we be able to take Harry home?"  
  
"Legally, as soon as you provide the proper documentation that Mr. Black is indeed his legal guardian. Physically though, not for quite some time yet."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I'm sorry sir, but two weeks ago the boy came into this hospital barley alive, and as yet I have seen no improvement in his injuries and his psychological state is no better. He say everyone he was with die and that has probably caused long term psychological damage."  
  
At the doctors words concerning death, all four of their heads snapped up and the three younger men looked toward the headmaster who in turn looked to the doctor curiously.  
  
"Doctor, could please tell me about the night Harry came into your care?" asked the headmaster, focusing light blue eyes hidden behind half moon glasses straight into the doctors eyes.  
  
Contrary to what he had first felt about the strange group of men in the room with him, he felt persuaded to tell the old man before him everything he wanted to know.  
  
"Well, I had just gone up to the receiving desk to discharge a patient when the front doors burst opened. I looked up and saw a person stumble into the emergency room, but I couldn't tell what was wrong with him at first.  
  
I ran up to him and noticed that he could barley stand on his own, he was using the wall to support himself. As I reached him, he fell to the ground with a moan. He was wearing very loose robes, like they were made for someone twice his size, but they were practically shredded and revealed that his skin was covered in dirt and blood.  
  
His hair was matted with blood and dirt as well and it shielded his face from view, so I thought this was a full grown man on the floor in front of me, and I asked him what was wrong, but before he could answer, he began to cough up mouthfuls of blood and was having trouble catching his breath.  
  
I asked him again who he was and who did this to him, but he just started to cough again and I gave up hope and was getting ready to put him on a gurney and start treating him when he spoke.  
  
His voice was very hoarse and barley auditable, but his words were easy enough to make out, like he was willing to give up all his energy just to say those few words. He looked right into my eyes and told me that he was gone, they all were and then he lost consciousness on the floor."  
  
"What do you think happened Albus?" asked Sirius, now thoroughly bewildered by this new revelation.  
  
The headmasters face broke into a small, grim smile for a moment before he spoke to the other three wizards.  
  
"I think that Harry has succeeded to defeat Voldemort and his followers, but at what cost to himself I am still unsure. We shall have to wait until Harry is ready to tell us what has happened these past months himself."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N: Well, here you go and I hope you liked it! I know this chapter was kinda dull, but it all leads up to what is coming, I promise. I already have the next two chapters typed and I'll post them within the next couple days. Thank you all for the nice reviews, I really appreciate them (Grin). I know Snape seems a little out of character right now, but now he has no more need to feel sorry for Sirius since they found Harry, so he will start to act more like the kind and generous potions master we all love (I'm being sarcastic), to Sirius anyway I don't remember who, but somebody asked how long this was going to be, and to be honest, I have no idea! I'll just say that finding Harry was not the only thing that is going to happen here, so be prepared! Hope you enjoy this and please review! 


	11. Wands and Potions

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Chapter 11  
  
It was warm, and it was bright, too warm and bright Harry realized suddenly.  
  
He was at that stage half way between being awake and being asleep, that blessed place where nothing seemed important except for staying at that place for as long as possible.  
  
That was just a dream though, and as he slowly came back to the world, he realized that everything was not as blessed as the place he had just awakened from.  
  
The first thing that he realized was that he hurt, a lot, and with the knowledge of that hurt, he realized something else.  
  
He realized that he was lying somewhere warm and bright, the complete opposite of the place he had been for longer than he could remember and he wondered for a moment how he came to be at this new place before the truth came rushing back to him with the speed of a lightning bolt and with just as much force.  
  
He remembered every little detail of the past months, and he knew he wanted to forget them.  
  
He remembered coming into the muggle hospital.  
  
He remembered the looks of horror and sympathy the staff had given him.  
  
He remembered a dark haired nurse and a young blonde doctor that had been caring for him, but that was where his memories ended.  
  
He felt the presence of others in the room he occupied, people other than the hospital staff, and though he had good feeling he knew who was there, he wanted to know for sure.  
  
As consciousness slowly returned to him, he felt a warm hand covering his own right one, and the contact served to bring him to a fully comprehending and awake state.  
  
He realized that he hurt from head to toe, and the terrible memories of how he came to be in such a state assaulted his brain, pictures and sounds and feelings he longed to destroy.  
  
Trying to escape the sights his mind was feeding him, he tried to open his eyes, but as soon as he did so, he regretted it and forced them back shut again. The sun was high in the sky and shining brightly through the unshielded window.  
  
Apparently though, the other people in the room had seen his reaction and one quickly pulled the blinds over the window, blocking out the bright sun before he heard a familiar voice speaking quietly to him.  
  
"Harry, its Sirius. I'm here and so are Remus and Dumbledore. Can you open your eyes for me?"  
  
The voice was almost pleading and he felt obliged to obey it, so he slowly opened his eyes again and was pleased that he could look around the room without being forced to squint because of the light.  
  
The shapes around him were blurry though, and he had trouble discerning one man from the other in the room.  
  
This must too have been picked up on by somebody because another voice spoke up from a corner of the room, the voice of Dumbledore.  
  
"Doctor, did Mr. Potter come in here with his glasses?"  
  
"No, he wasn't wearing any when he came in."  
  
"Very well, then he shall get some new ones."  
  
Harry caught the wave of an arm for an instant before Dumbledore approached the bed and carefully set a new pair of glassed on his face.  
  
Everything came into sharp focus instantly and he was able to take in the faced surrounding his bed.  
  
Sirius was sitting in a chair beside his bed and it was his godfather that held his hand in his own. His features were a mixture of relief and something else, though Harry couldn't figure out what it was.  
  
Standing beside him was Remus and he had a small smile on his face, but there was something else hidden in his expression too.  
  
On the other side of the bead stood Dumbledore, the only one in the room wearing robes, and his face betrayed relief as well, but there was no twinkle in his eyes.  
  
Harry's eyes then traveled to the doorway of the room where he saw the doctor and the nurse standing quietly together watching the group intently.  
  
The only other person in the room was standing in the corner of the small room and Harry was surprised but not quite shocked to see him there. It was Snape, and his expression also looked relieved, but he was subconsciously massaging his left forearm through the black fabric of his muggle shirt and Harry realized with a start why his parents' best friends looked almost fearful behind their relief.  
  
He immediately pulled his hand from Sirius' grasp, wincing slightly as he did so from the stabs of pain that shot through his arm and shoulder.  
  
"Harry, what is it?" Sirius asked almost frantically.  
  
His answer was met with only a penetrating stare from piercing green eyes.  
  
"Harry, what's wrong?" he tried again, this time being no more successful though than the first.  
  
They knew what he had burned into his arm and they feared it. They wanted to know what had happened and why he had the mark of the dark lord but he refused to enlighten them.  
  
All they needed to know was lying there on the hospital bed in front of them. He was alive, and Voldemort had not been seen or heard from since the two of them were last seen and it would remain that way for the rest of time.  
  
Seeming to realize that they would receive no answers from him, Dumbledore turned to face the two muggles in the door way.  
  
"Doctor, nurse, I thank you for caring for Harry so well, but I would like for him to return to the school with us."  
  
This statement was met with sharp protests from both of them for a moment before Dumbledore muttered 'oblivate' under his breath and their expressions turned from those of outrage to peace.  
  
"Sirius, this is a portkey that will transport you and Harry directly to the hospital wing at Hogwarts. Severus, Remus, and I will deal with modifying the memories of the rest of the hospital staff and will join you shortly."  
  
Sirius nodded as he gently scooped Harry into his arms, blankets and all, to keep him from landing on the floor when they arrived at the castle if there wasn't a bed nearby. A gasp of pain escaped from the boys mouth as he clenched his eyes tightly closed to try to block out as much of the pain as possible.  
  
"I'm sorry Harry, I don't mean to hurt you anymore. We'll be at the castle in just a minute and Poppy will have you good as new" he was trying to reassure the boy just as much as himself as he took hold of the newspaper Dumbledore held out for him and instantly felt the familiar pull behind his navel as the room around him dissolved and was replaced a few moments later by the familiar surroundings of the Hogwarts hospital wing.  
  
Apparently, Dumbledore had failed to relay the message to Madame Pomfrey that they had found Harry and would be bringing him to Hogwarts though, because the nurse nearly fainted when Sirius appeared directly in front of her as she was cleaning the room.  
  
"Mr. Black! What is the meaning of this! Appearing in here like that with absolutely no warning! Were you trying to give me a heart attack?"  
  
"Poppy relax. Albus sent us ahead so you could get started immediately."  
  
"What do you mean? Get started on what? Oh dear! It that who I think it is?" she asked suddenly, just then noticing the dark haired bundle Sirius was holding.  
  
"Yes, it's Harry, we found him in a muggle hospital this morning where he's been for the past two weeks. He's hurt pretty badly though."  
  
As Sirius said this, he carefully laid his godson onto the nearest bed, resulting in another gasp of pain from the boy.  
  
"Just give me a moment to gather what I need, I put everything away for the summer, I didn't think I would be treating anybody until term began again."  
  
With that said, she bustled into the storage closet and Sirius and Harry could hear the clanking of bottles as she searched for what she needed before returning several minutes later with an armload of potions, bandages, and her wand.  
  
She cautiously approached the bed Harry was in and pulled back the blankets that Sirius had brought him in before beginning to examine him visually, muttering to herself the entire time and Sirius was surprised about how little she reacted when she noticed the tattoo on his arm.  
  
"Nothing looks to be beyond my skills to heal, but you will be left with a few scars Mr. Potter, now hold still for a few moments while I close up these cuts."  
  
She raised her wand until it was just above one of many deep gashes in Harry's abdomen, but just as she was about to say the incantation, Harry made a flicking motion with the wrist of his left arm and the wand went crashing into the far wall of the infirmary.  
  
Sirius and Madame Pomfrey looked at one another in shock for a moment before looking back to the boy on the bed, both coming to the same conclusion in an instant, the boy was absolutely terrified.  
  
His green eyes were round and filled with a fear neither had ever seen there before and his entire body was trembling violently. His eyes were fixed on the wand that was still lying on the floor on the far side of the room and he starred at it as though he thought it would suddenly jump up and attack him without a moments notice.  
  
Madame Pomfrey went to her wand and carefully picked it up and put it back into the pocket of her robes before approaching the bed again and speaking quietly.  
  
"Calm down Harry, calm down. It's gone, I won't bring it back out again until you're ready for me to. Calm down, easy does it."  
  
Her words in combination with the disappearance of the wand seemed to calm him down and his breathing slowed and his trembling slowly subsided as well, but his eyes still held that terrified look in them.  
  
Over the next fifteen minutes he relaxed further and slowly slipped into sleep with the nurse and Sirius still standing over him worriedly.  
  
"What just happened here?" Sirius asked hesitantly as the two withdrew to the far side of the wing where they wouldn't disturb the sleeping boy.  
  
Before he got an answer though, the doors opened and Albus, Remus, and Severus entered. They gave the sleeping boy a curious look before joining the other two.  
  
"What's wrong Poppy? Why hasn't Harry been healed yet?" asked Dumbledore, concern evident in his voice.  
  
"He wouldn't allow me to heal him headmaster" she answered truthfully.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Snape, a bitter edge to his voice  
  
"He let me examine him without protest, but when I went to heal his wounds with my wand, he did something and my wand went flying across the room. He looked absolutely terrified by the sight of it, he was breathing shallowly and trembling violently, he wouldn't take his eyes from my wand until I put it out of sight, and only then did he begin to relax, he just fell asleep a few moments ago."  
  
"How did he disarm you without a wand of his own? His wand is here where he left it isn't it Albus?" asked Remus curiously.  
  
"Indeed, it has been in my office since that day, and I believe he disarmed you through wandless magic. If you remember, he was able to banish Voldemort without the use of a wand the day they disappeared. The question though is why he would wish to disarm you in the first place."  
  
"I think I have an idea headmaster" said Snape softly, as though not really wanting to divulge the information willingly but feeling obliged to do so.  
  
"Go ahead Severus."  
  
"The dark lord has always enjoyed physically torturing his enemies, but he felt above them, so to speak, so he would never touch them. Instead, he would use his wand to inflict bodily harm. He would also allow his followers to inflict whatever pain the prisoners that they wished, but they were forbidden to touch them as well when inflicting pain."  
  
"Are you saying that all of these injuries were caused by wands?" asked Poppy  
  
"More than likely, yes, although some look as thought they could have been inflicted using potions as well"  
  
"What type of potions could cause injuries like these?" asked Remus, apparently as confused as the others present.  
  
"I can think of two in particular that he would have used. Both of these were favorites of his while I was in his service as a spy, the physical nightmare potion and the healing deprivation potion." At their blank stares, he elaborated "The first is a potion that allows one to plant nightmares into the drinkers head and it forces them to physically suffer from whatever happens during their nightmare. For example, if one were to dream that they were carrying something heavy, they would awake to find that their arms were sore, like if they had really carried the object."  
  
A look of understanding flashed over the faces of Albus and Pomfrey, but the marauders still looked confused.  
  
"Damn you Gryffindors'," he mumbled, he really had no desire to explain what exactly the nightmares the boy had probably been forced to go through, but it was obvious the Gryffindor men were still clueless as to the workings of the dark arts and torture, even after all this "Wands can only be used to cut someone or banish them into a hard object, but Harry has bruises on him like one would get from being physically beaten, not random shapes, but shapes like hand prints and boot prints."  
  
At this statement, Sirius growled again and Remus shook his head in misery, but both seemed inclined to accept the truth of the words he had said and he continued to describe the effects of the other potion he thought had been used.  
  
"The healing deprivation potion is also used as a form of torture by those who practice the dark arts. It causes any injuries that a person currently has and will receive to take at least four times as long to heal as they would normally. This particular potion stays in the system for about a month before it needs to be re administered"  
  
Sirius took this opportunity to interrupt with his own thoughts.  
  
"Ok, so we know Harry was at the hospital for two weeks, so in another two weeks he will be able to heal normally, right?" he looked hopefully at Snape who was forced to dash all that hope completely.  
  
"Wrong Black, the potion covers all injuries incurred while it was still in the system and must be re administered to cover any new injuries. Those injuries that Potter currently has were probably all incurred while he was under the influences of this potion, which means they will take at least four times as long to heal naturally, since it is obvious we can't use our wands to treat them. The good news is that any injuries Harry receives after the potion wears off will heal in the normal time frame."  
  
"So what you're saying is that Harry's injuries will heal, it will just take longer than normal, right?" asked Remus, wanting to make sure he had caught everything the potions master had said.  
  
"Ten points to Gryffindor" he replied sarcastically, earning himself a glare from Remus and Sirius and a slight chuckle from the headmaster.  
  
"So what do we do now?" asked Poppy  
  
"For now, I recommend we treat his injuries as best as we can using muggle techniques. Meanwhile, we will keep him here until the start of term and hopefully he will come around and tell us what has happened these past months" he had just turned to leave when Remus asked one final question.  
  
"What about his friends Albus? Especially Ginny, they were all quite insistent to be allowed to see him soon."  
  
"I believe that it would be in the best interest of them and Harry to wait until things settle down a bit. I don't think he wishes his friends to see him in such a state, and I don't think they would like to see their best friend beaten so terribly."  
  
Remus had to admit that the headmaster had a point about Harry not wanting his friends to see him like this, but he didn't think Ginny, Ron, and Hermione would be affected by what they saw as far as the injuries, but he knew what Dumbledore had really meant. They had no idea how his friends would react once they caught sight of the dark mark on his arm.  
  
"We will let the Weasley's know about Harry's condition immediately but I must insist the students stay home until the beginning of term."  
  
He then left the hospital wing with Snape at his heels, leaving Remus and Sirius to go back to Harry.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: I know, I know, another boring chapter right, but it will get better once everyone goes back to school, I promise, thanks for those of you who reviewed the last chapter and please review this one as well and let me know if you thought it was good or terrible. 


	12. Trust is Questionable

Chapter 12  
  
He was lying on the cool ground in the courtyard and his insides were on fire from the repeated pains of the cruciatus curses thrown at him from Voldemort. He was trying to force oxygen into his lungs, but it was less painful not to try and breathe. Then he heard the cold voice in the distance through the sounds of the battle raging on all around him.  
  
"Perhaps I will give Mr. Malfoy the honor of killing you, since he despises your boyfriend so much."  
  
It was Voldemort and he was talking about killing Ginny. He had to stop him, now.  
  
Ignoring the pain shooting through his body, he rose and made his way to his beloved Ginny. He would not allow her to be harmed, not matter what the cost.  
  
His memories then jumped to a dark room. He was lying on the damp floor facing a wall of stone.  
  
He could hear angry voices all around him and as he listened he could make out their words.  
  
"How in the hell did we get here and why can't we get out! We've tried every spell imaginable and still nothing!" said one man, clearly furious with the current situation.  
  
His words though reminded Harry of what happened and how they had come to be in such a terrible place. The battle with Voldemort, the killing curse that had hit him hard in the chest, the dementors being banished back to Azkaban, and himself, the death eaters, and what remained of Voldemort being brought here by his power.  
  
He knew the men thought he was probably unconscious or even dead, and he dreaded what would happen when they discovered otherwise.  
  
His memories ended abruptly as his eyes flew open and he realized he was drenched in a cold sweat and something thicker and sticky. He looked at the blankets that were covering himself and saw spots of rich red spreading out over them. Not surprised by what he saw since he had been experiencing the same thing for too many weeks, he glanced at Sirius and Remus who were standing beside the bed.  
  
"Poppy, what on earth has happened? Why is he bleeding?" asked Sirius urgently.  
  
"I'm afraid it is going to be a rough summer Mr. Black. Apparently the thrashing around caused by his nightmare made his wounds reopen. I wish we could just close them up and be done with it" she mumbled to herself as she drew back the blankets and proceeded to wrap the now bleeding wounds in fresh bandages after removing Harry's pajama shirt.  
  
During the entire time she was doing these things, Harry never protested except for the occasional gasp of pain as she touched a particularly tender spot.  
  
His eyes remained trained to the bed and never once did he answer the numerous questions that the adults were asking of him concerning his condition or dream.  
  
Once she had finished with his chest and stomach, she asked him to sit up so she could do the same to his back, which he did without argument, even though it caused him immense pain, causing him to have black areas begin to cloud the boundaries of his vision.  
  
He refused to let them know just how much pain he was in though, so he just gritted his teeth, clenched his fists. Regardless of his best efforts though, he let out a small audible gasp again even though he tried to prevent it.  
  
He sat like that for a long time while she cleaned and bandaged the areas on his back, still refusing to meet anybody else's eyes.  
  
When she had finished, she gave Harry a new shirt to put on and he was thankful that it was a long sleeved one. Awkwardly, he tried to pull the shirt over his arms, but it just caused him too much pain to fight with it and he was shaking from the effort. He was about to give up when a gentle hand pulled the shirt from his trembling hands and carefully guided his bandaged arm through the sleeve before moving to his next arm. The person helping him took hold of his other arm and guided it toward the other sleeve, successfully exposing the underside of his forearm and the hideous mark that resided there.  
  
Harry looked at the mark for a few short moments remembering the day he had received it far too clearly and remembering just what that symbol represented only served to make him angrier with himself.  
  
Furious about it being seen by anyone but himself, he thrust his arm into the waiting shirt and collapsed back onto the bed headless of the pain it caused.  
  
He starred up at the ceiling of the room and saw Sirius' face as he bent over him and buttoned the shirt he had helped Harry put on.  
  
When he was done, he looked searchingly into Harry's eyes and said something that took him completely by surprise.  
  
"Harry, I am your godfather and I will always be here for you no matter what happens. I love you no matter what. I don't know what has happened to you these past months, but when you are ready to talk about it, I'm willing to listen"  
  
His words startled Harry so much that the boy lost his stony resolve for a fraction of a moment and met Sirius' gaze, looking into his eyes to that his godfather was not exaggerating his words one bit and that he truly meant every word he had said.  
  
Just as quickly as his resolve fell though, it was restored and he diverted his gaze from the concerned eyes of his godfather back to the ceiling.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sirius and Remus had been sitting beside the boys bed for about an hour when he began toss and turn, apparently having a nightmare. Knowing there was nothing they could do to stop the nightmare without further startling Harry and causing him to use wandless magic again, they had been forced to watch for several agonizing minutes until his eyes snapped open and he looked about wildly until his eyes settled on the blankets covering him which were beginning to absorb blood.  
  
Madame Pomfrey had explained what had happened to cause him to start bleeding before she set to work removing his saturated blankets and pajama shirt.  
  
They were both shocked by what the removal of clothing revealed to their eyes. Neither of them had seen his chest, abdomen, or back without the protective bandages covering them and once Madame Pomfrey removed them, the full impact of just how lucky Harry was to be alive hit them both full force.  
  
It looked as though someone was trying to draw abstract pictures on his body by cutting into the flesh using some sort of crude blade. How somebody could hold a wand and direct it into such elaborate patterns made them both sick to their stomachs, but what was worse was the amount of pain that must have accompanied the artists efforts.  
  
The gashes were so numerous that it was impossible to distinguish where one began and the other one ended, and none of them were small and insignificant, they were all deep and any one looked as though it alone was bad enough to kill a normal man.  
  
Harry was not a normal person though and that is why he was still living.  
  
When Madame Pomfrey asked him to sit up, he obliged without protest, but as he did so, they could all see how much pain it caused him to do so. His teeth were clenched tightly together and his fists were in tight balls gripping the blankets beside his body. He allowed a small nearly inaudible gasp to escape his mouth.  
  
His back was in the same condition as his front, but it contained quite a few more bruises, as though he had been flung unmercifully into a wall repeatedly. Sirius immediately felt guilty for the amount of pain he must have caused the boy as he was carrying him in his arms earlier that day.  
  
They watched in silence as she continued to see to his bandages and they both thought about the long weeks that were ahead of them all. Harry was injured beyond belief physically, but they knew those injuries would heal in time. He was severely thin and desperately needed to gain quite a bit of weight before he would even begin to look like a normal wizard who was approaching his seventeenth birthday, his ribs showed predominantly through his battered skin and his arms looked like they could be snapped with no effort at all, but this too would be rectified as time went on.  
  
The thing they were starting to doubt could be fixed though was his psychological trauma. Even before the events of the past months Harry had suffered more pain and loss that most wizards twice his age would ever face. Weather or not he would be able to overcome this particular barrier was yet to be seen.  
  
Once his injuries were bandaged again, Madame Pomfrey gave him a new shirt before leaving to clean the old one and the blankets where he wouldn't have to see her wand.  
  
Harry had been trying unsuccessfully to put the shirt on over his mangled arm for several moments and he had begun to tremble with the effort when Sirius had seen enough. He knew Harry was ridiculously stubborn but even he must have known he needed help.  
  
Sirius gently took the fabric from his grasp and helped guide the broken arm into a sleeve before he moved to the other arm. He gently grabbed the thin wrist to put it into the sleeve when he noticed Harry's eyes flicker to the dark mark tattooed there. The normally bright eyes that had always been filled with life and energy clouded over with hate as he took in the mark for a moment before violently thrusting his arm into the sleeve and collapsing back onto the bed.  
  
Sirius had carefully buttoned up the shirt over the boys bandages before he looked into those green eyes and spoke quietly and truthfully into the face of his godson.  
  
When he finished his short and impromptu speech, he was startled to see that Harry was looking intently into his eyes, as though he were judging for himself weather or not the words spoken were indeed the truth. He held the gaze for a moment before looking back to the ceiling of the room, leaving Sirius to share a quick glance with Remus, confirming the fact that Harry had actually seemed to notice the words spoken and acknowledged them as truth.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Albus Dumbledore was dreading the task he was about to perform, knowing it would be a very difficult task indeed.  
  
He was walking up the long walk toward the Weasley's front door to tell them about Harry's condition and to tell his two best friends and a certain red headed girlfriend with a temper akin to fire that they would have to wait until the beginning of the school term to see him again. This was going to be a challenging task indeed and trying to cover up his suspicious surrounding the dark mark would be even more challenging, as he didn't plan to tell anybody else about the boy-who-lived having the mark of one in the service of Lord Voldemort because he knew that even those who considered him family would jump to conclusions.  
  
He quickly covered the last bit of ground between himself and the front door and stood collecting his thoughts for a moment before lightly knocking.  
  
The door was thrown open an instant later and the old wizard was met with the hopeful face of the youngest Weasley.  
  
"Good afternoon Miss. Weasley, I was hoping I could have a word with you and your family" he said kindly, not wanting to give the child reason to jump to conclusions about what he wanted to discuss.  
  
"Certainly sir, come on in" she replied politely before asking the desperate question "how is Harry? Will we be able to see him today?"  
  
"We shall discuss both of those questions in a moment, when everyone else is present, now where might I find your parents?" he noticed that his words caused a frustrated flush to creep up the girls face for a moment before she motioned him in and led him into the quaint kitchen where Arthur and Molly were seated.  
  
"Albus, what brings you by?" asked Arthur politely as he stood and shook hands with the headmaster.  
  
"There are a few new developments I wish to inform you about concerning Harry" their reactions were just what he had expected them to be, Arthur set his jaw in firm resolution and Molly visibly paled, both apparently expecting the worst.  
  
"Are Ron and Hermione around, I would like to include them in this as well as you Ginny" he continued, looking at the girl still standing beside him.  
  
"They're out back, I'll go get them" she answered, happy that the three of them were going to be included.  
  
Dumbledore took a seat at the large table and sat in silence for several moments with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sitting in silence opposite him. Several moments later, the door burst open and Ron, Hermione and Ginny came hurrying in, all flushed from apparently sprinting back to the house.  
  
The three students all to seats next to the Weasley parents and sat in silence, awaiting whatever it was he had to say.  
  
"As you undoubtedly know already, an article appeared in a muggle newspaper this morning about a teenage boy who mysteriously showed up in a muggle hospital a few weeks ago. The description matched that of Harry, so I sent Sirius, Remus, and Severus to see if it was him.  
  
What they found was a mixed blessing though, the boy in the hospital was indeed Mr. Potter, but he has been severely injured and abused these past months."  
  
At this, he looked into the faces of those seated in front of him and noticed unshed tears in the eyes of the three females and identical expressions of stony resolve on the faces of Ron and Arthur.  
  
"The doctor in the hospital informed me of Harry's arrival in the hospital, and apparently he said some very curious things when he arrived. He told the doctor that he was gone, the all were, now these words can mean several things, but we think he was speaking of Voldemort and his followers."  
  
A resounding sigh of relief echoed through the kitchen at these words and all the Weasley's and Hermione looked almost thrilled at this piece of information.  
  
"The doctor also informed me that Harry has not spoken a conscious word since that night, and that he spends the hours he is awake starring straight ahead and appears to be oblivious to the things, people, and events around him.  
  
We then transferred him to Hogwarts where Madame Pomfrey took stock of his injuries, which to say the least are extensive. His right arm has been shattered beyond use and his right leg is broken in several places rendering his knee useless as well. Several of his ribs have been broken as well and they have caused bruising to his heart and lungs, and one of his lungs has been punctured. He has been severely beaten and bruises cover the majority of his body as well as many deep lacerations all over his chest, abdomen, and back. To put it mildly, he's in bad shape."  
  
He paused here to collect his thoughts once again before continuing, not wanting to face the questions that he knew he would be flooded with eventually.  
  
"We believe that Harry will recover from these injuries, but it will take much longer than normal for him to do so. It looks as though he was given a potion to slow the natural healing process, causing it to take at least four times as long for his injuries to heal completely, which means he won't be fully recovered until at least Christmas if not later."  
  
Arthur now decided to interrupt with the main question the old man had been dreading having to answer.  
  
"Why can't Madame Pomfrey just heal him magically? Surely she has dealt with worst and it would be just a matter of days instead of months before he is healed."  
  
"She tried soon after Harry arrived at the castle, but something happened that I can not explain. According to Sirius and Poppy, she had just drawn her wand and poised it over his stomach when they noticed a flip of his wrist and the wand went flying into the far wall of the infirmary."  
  
At their baffled expressions, he elaborated more.  
  
"Apparently Harry used some type of wandless magic to disarm her, and when they looked to him for some sort of an explanation, he appeared terrified by the sight of the wand. We can only assume that it was using wands that his injuries were inflicted, which makes it impossible to use a wand to heal his injuries, even when he is sleeping no magic can come into contact with his body and I can't even begin to explain why. Before you ask, the same is true with potions because he was given some pretty powerful ones as well while he was gone."  
  
This new information caused Hermione and all four Weasley's to look completely appalled, all of them furious with whoever had done this to Harry. Ginny was the first to speak up.  
  
"When can we see him sir?" she asked quietly, as she tried to control her emotions.  
  
"I'm afraid I must ask you to wait until at least the beginning of term to visit with Harry. He has just been through a terrible ordeal and I'm worried about him being with too many people right now, until he has recovered a bit and is prepared to see his friends again."  
  
"What do you mean until he is ready to see us? Don't you think we would be the best people to help him out of this?" asked Ron, still thoroughly confused by the headmasters words.  
  
"I believe that Mr. Potter is too ashamed to be around those who care about him right now, judging by his reaction to those of us who were present in the muggle hospital."  
  
"What in heavens name does he have to be ashamed about? He has been beaten and tortured for three months, it's not like he caused it to happen! On the contrary, he saved an entire castle full of students from falling to the dark lord, he has no right to be ashamed of anything!" Ginny was furious, not only was she being forbidden from seeing Harry for another month and a half, but now Dumbledore was telling her that Harry was too ashamed of his condition to see her or his best friends.  
  
"I'm afraid it is not his injuries that he is ashamed of Ginny, but rather, the experience he has been through." said the headmaster in a dejected tone, meeting the eyes of all present in the room before continuing "I must ask you not to jump to any conclusions concerning what I am about to tell you, we have no idea just what has occurred these past months, but sometime while Harry was missing, something happened to him"  
  
"What are you getting at Albus" asked Arthur with a note of impatience in his voice.  
  
"For some reason still unknown to us, Harry has become even more powerful since he disappeared, and I have reason to believe that this new power could carry with it the mark of evil. Harry is not the same boy who disappeared on March fourth, and I am uncertain about weather or not he can be trusted." 


	13. The Power of Words

Chapter 13  
  
With those words out, he looked back to the faces in front of him. Ginny let out a small shriek and clamped her hands over her mouth with tears running unchecked down her cheeks.  
  
Hermione looked stunned, as though she couldn't process what had just been said, and Ron wore an identical expression as his best friend.  
  
Arthur had his arms around his wife who was sobbing into his robes muttering incoherently. Arthur was the first to get his voice back and he spoke quietly.  
  
"Do you think he will recover Albus?"  
  
"I don't know Arthur, but I do know that he is in a terrible psychological state right now. He has closed himself up completely and is terrified of being hurt again. He doesn't know who or what to trust and until he does, I must limit his contact to the staff of the school and his godfather. Could I have a private word with you Arthur, before I leave?"  
  
"Certainly Albus, let's go to the living room."  
  
He slowly unwrapped himself from his wife's embrace and followed the old man into the other room.  
  
"Arthur, there is now no doubt in my mind that Harry has become even more powerful these past months, and I am worried about what he will do with these new found powers. I don't think he would intentionally harm his friends, but he could only too easily injure them without meaning to if he were startled or angry. Please try your hardest to explain to them that I am not doing this out of spite, but for their own protection. I must return to the castle now, I'll keep in touch."  
  
With that, he disappeared from the living room with a pop and Arthur returned to the kitchen to try to calm his family as much as possible.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next several weeks were tiring on all involved. Sirius was by Harry's bed all but a few hours a day when he would get a quick nap and freshen up, to be replaced by Remus. The hospital wing remained relatively silent for the most part, interrupted by only the hushed conversations between Madame Pomfrey and the various members of the staff who came to check on Harry.  
  
His injuries were slowly healing, and there were some that were still very obvious and painful looking to the observer, especially those on his face. Harry continued to remain in his tightly sealed shell, never speaking and only occasionally meeting anyone's eyes.  
  
He obeyed whatever Sirius or Madame Pomfrey told him to do, eating any food that was placed before him, but he never ate much more than the most necessary amounts which had done nothing to add much needed weight to his too thin frame, but at least he was eating.  
  
His strength had slowly returned, and he was now able to stay awake throughout the entire day instead of only being awake for a few hours at a time before becoming exhausted again and falling asleep.  
  
His increase in energy prompted Sirius to approach Madame Pomfrey about letting Harry take a slow walk about the castle, which she had agreed would do the boy good if she were able to find some sort of brace for his mangled arm and leg so he could walk unassisted by others since he refused to let them aid him any more than was absolutely necessary.  
  
She had designed a brace similar to those muggles used to support injured legs, but had added a few magical alterations, making it light as a feather and thin enough to be hidden under his robes while still being strong enough to help him walk around as long as he was wearing it.  
  
His arm was held close to his body in a sling to prevent it jostling the shattered bones as much as possible.  
  
From that day forward, Harry had taken walks of increasing lengths through the vast castle, always in the company of Sirius. Even though his energy levels had slowly increased over the past several weeks, it was still incredibly painful for him to walk for very long before he was gasping for breath and white as a sheet because his broken bones were taking far longer than the external wounds to heal.  
  
Sirius hated to see his godson in so much pain, but Harry would refuse to allow him help him back to the hospital wing, shrugging off his gentle hand and stubbornly going back to the infirmary unaided and Sirius remembered all to well what had happened the one time he had tried to force Harry to let him help.  
  
No matter how trying the walks were though, they appeared to be doing him some good and by the end of the second week of daily walks, he reached the end of the massive hallway that the hospital wing was on before turning back to return, the furthest he had made it yet, and by the end of the summer he could walk to the entrance of the tower before he turned back, completely exhausted but looking proud of himself nonetheless.  
  
His seventeenth birthday passed unnoticed by Harry himself, and the cards and gifts that had been sent for him were being kept by Sirius until such time he was ready to receive them, on the advice of Poppy and Albus who both thought it best since Harry didn't even seem to realize there was a small pile of gifts on the table by his bed.  
  
Those staying at the Weasley's were anxious for September the first to arrive so they could return to Hogwarts and see their friend at last and try to figure out what had happened to him since his disappearance.  
  
Near the end of the summer, Dumbledore came to the hospital wing to speak to Harry privately, much to the irritation of Sirius, who was forced to wait in the hallway until they were through.  
  
He approached a chair that was sitting next to one of the expansive windows and contained a slight figure with thick black hair hanging to his shoulders. He smiled slightly as he remembered the look on Sirius' face as he tried to wash the boy's hair the day after he had arrived at the castle.  
  
He had walked in to speak with Madame Pomfrey and had seen Sirius leaning over the bed with Harry's head soaked and himself as well. He was trying to figure out what the best course of action was to rinse Harry's head without making a massive mess and incurring the wrath of Madame Pomfrey.  
  
He had been oblivious to the headmaster watching him, and was about to just pour an entire bowl of water over the boy's head when Dumbledore had suggested putting some towels on the floor first to catch the water before he flooded the entire infirmary.  
  
He still smiled at the shocked expression on Sirius' face as he realized someone was watching him, but he had obliged with the recommendation and finished without making too much of a mess.  
  
These days though, much to Sirius' delight, Harry was able to care for himself completely, doing everything on his own, including washing his own hair and dressing himself, though he still had problems buttoning his shirts.  
  
The only reason that he was still being kept in the hospital wing was so that he would always have someone nearby, and this was what Dumbledore wished to speak to him about tonight.  
  
"Harry, how are you feeling tonight?" he hadn't really expected an answer so he wasn't surprised when he didn't receive one. He just moved until he was standing in front of the boy who continued to look out the window beside him.  
  
"Harry, there are a few questions I need you to answer for me. As you know, the students will be returning to Hogwarts in three days, and it won't be possible for you to remain in the hospital wing once they arrive. The ministry is still unaware of your return and I will keep it that way if you wish, but that would require you to remain in Sirius' quarters. The other option is that you could remain to your dormitory or stay with Sirius once the students arrive, you will not be required to attend classes if you don't wish until you are ready to do so. This is your decision and I will support whatever you decide to do."  
  
He was walking toward the hospital wing door to go when he heard the chair behind him scrape the ground. Turning around, he was shocked to see Harry standing with his weight supported by the chair back. Harry was looking right at him without blinking and remained that way for what felt like an eternity, his green eyes penetrating blue ones. What happened next shocked Albus beyond words.  
  
"I want to be treated like everyone else" his words were barley audible, but they were there and made perfect sense. Harry wished to return to his dormitory and attend classes like every other seventeen year old wizard in the world.  
  
Albus continued to stare at the boy for several more moments before he spoke again, in a tone much steadier than the boys had been.  
  
"Very well Harry, you shall be at the start of term banquet three days from now, but there is one more question I must ask of you, would you like me to bring your wand down, it has been in my office since the day you left"  
  
His words caused the boy's face to pale suddenly, and Albus was afraid he had caused him to retreat back into his protective shell. His worries were alleviated as soon as he spoke again though.  
  
"No professor, I don't need it, but please keep it for me, I might want it later"  
  
Albus decided not to press the issue any further by asking how it was possible Harry didn't need his wand, so he changed the topic.  
  
"Very well, I will ask one of the staff members to gather your things form Diagon Alley for you for the new term. Would you like me to send Sirius back in?"  
  
He looked back at Harry and was disappointed to see that his eyes had lost their focus once again and he was starring blankly at the floor, locked up inside his own thoughts and feelings. Sighing heavily, he left the hospital wing and was met with an irritated looking Sirius.  
  
"Can I go be with my godson now Albus?" he asked impatiently  
  
"One moment Sirius, I asked Harry if he would like to remain in your quarters once the students arrived or if he wanted to return to the tower, and his answer was most surprising, he told me he wanted to be treated like everyone else, which meant he wanted to return to his dormitory and attend classes, he also told me that he wouldn't need his wand for his classes"  
  
"What do you mean he told you this? Harry has been here for ten weeks and hasn't said a word to anyone, but he answered you tonight"  
  
"Yes, Sirius, he did answer my questions, but that is all, when I tried to continue the conversation, he closed back up again and the hollow look was back in his eyes. I have no idea why he answered these questions and not all the others we have asked him, but the fact remains that he did answer me tonight and we must respect his decisions on this matter and allow him to return to classes and his house dormitory"  
  
Sirius looked furious at these words and his fury was released in his voice.  
  
"What do you mean he is going back to classes! And going back to the tower! He won't speak to anybody and he is still terribly hurt, those wounds have barley healed and he gets out of breath after climbing one flight of stairs! How in heavens name is he supposed to make it from the dungeons to the astronomy tower? He's not ready to be burdened with all of this yet, he's not ready!"  
  
Sirius was pacing the hallway during his entire speech and with his last words he sank to the floor.  
  
"Sirius, I know how tough these past months have been for you, but think about Harry, he just wants to be a normal student now and we should respect his wishes. Sure, this means you won't be able to be by his side constantly, but he will have his friends and you will still be in the castle. No one will be able to hurt him anymore, I promise you"  
  
His eyes flickered with understanding at the headmasters words and he nodded in understanding before getting to his feet again and going back into the infirmary.  
  
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Dumbledore decided to keep Harry's return from the ministry until the night of the welcome feast in case Harry changed his mind about what he wanted to do, but by late afternoon on September first, it became obvious he was sticking to his original decision.  
  
He had gone to the hospital wing to deliver Harry's new robes to him so he would have time to prepare for the arrival of the rest of the student body and had found Harry carefully packing his new school books into his trunk from his place on the bed.  
  
He was wearing a pair of plain black pants, over which his leg brace was in place, and a long sleeved and collared black shirt, which effectively hid the worst of his injuries which had now become scars as well as the tattoo on his arm. His right arm was still heavily bandaged and held close to his chest in the sling, making packing quite difficult it appeared. His face looked quite a bit better than it had when he had first arrived, having color on his cheeks helped him to look more healthy Dumbledore noted with satisfaction, but the boys face still bore evidence of the ordeal he had been through. There were still a dark bruise on one cheek and an evil looking scar stretching down the other cheek and another one over his left eye. The scars on his face served as a harsh reminder of just what he had incurred at the hands of his enemies, and they, combined with his dark attire made him look slightly foreboding.  
  
His hair which now reached a couple inches below his thin shoulders was hanging loose and served as a barrier around his face, hiding his eyes from view, though Dumbledore knew what he would see within them, a shield blocking all the pain and misery from the eyes of outsiders.  
  
Harry didn't even lift his eyes as the headmaster approached him and sat on the bed beside him.  
  
"Harry, I have brought you a new robe for the feast tonight, I do believe you have grown a couple of inches since last September making your old ones too short to wear this term" he laid the robes between himself and Harry before speaking again "The rest of the student body will be arriving in a few hours but I must warn you, none but Hermione and the Weasley's know that you have returned, so your presence may come as a bit of a shock to the others. I will make an announcement to the students before the feast to prevent you from being bombarded with questions, though I doubt many will recognize you at first glance, you have changed since they last saw you. Once you are done packing, you may move your belongings to the tower, the password is phoenix feather. Madame Pomfrey will expect you to come by every night before dinner for a check up, and Sirius will probably be waiting for you up here every night as well. I must be finishing up the plans for the feast, so I will see you there."  
  
He stood and made his way to the door and looked over his shoulder at Harry who was still packing his trunk as though the headmaster were not even there, as he had done during their entire one sided conversation. Shaking his head wearily, he exited the infirmary and came fade to face with Sirius who was carrying the last of Harry's new supplies to his godson, including new parchment and quills as well as fresh potions ingredients. Smiling slightly at the younger man, Dumbledore continued on his way toward his office to put the final touches on his welcome back speech for that evening.  
  
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A/N: Well, here is chapter 13, I hope you liked it! The next chapter is written and I'll try to post it tomorrow if I can. Please review this one though and let me know what you think, and just so you know, I'm not trying to be cruel or anything by making some people think Harry is evil, but look at the circumstances, he has the dark mark on his arm, he won't talk to anybody, and he won't deny anything so naturally people would jump to conclusions, after all, they haven't hesitated to judge Harry before now have they? Just a little thought to leave you with there! Thanks for reading and reviewing! 


	14. A Friend Returns

Chapter 14  
  
Ginny followed Ron and Hermione through the barrier of platform 9 ¾ to board the Hogwarts Express. The first thing she noticed as she looked around the magical platform was how much happier everyone looked than they had at the end of last term. Voldemort had not been seen or heard from since the battle on Hogwarts and people were beginning to feel safe again.  
  
Her father had told them not to mention the fact that Harry had returned to any of their fellow students since the ministry was still unaware of his appearance, and the three had agreed to do so, but that would not stop them from going up to Sirius and finding out where Harry was as soon as the feast drew to an end.  
  
She had been forced to go without seeing Harry for three months when she didn't know if he were dead of alive, and then forced to go another ten weeks after she knew he was indeed alive. She refused to go more than an hour in the same building as him without seeing him regardless of whatever warnings others might give her, and judging by the expressions on Ron and Hermione's faces, they felt the same way.  
  
After kissing her mother and father good bye, the three students climbed into the train and found an empty compartment near the end where they stowed their trunks before sitting back for the long ride back to school.  
  
During the trip, several of their classmates came by and asked how they were doing, but none stayed long since it was obvious they weren't going to be very good company, and about halfway there, they got caught up in their own conversation about what they thought the coming term had in store for them, but the topic of Harry never came up.  
  
They were all still confused about the revelation Dumbledore had made about Harry having changed a great deal since the last time they had seen him, and no one had any idea about what had gone on yet. They all assumed that since Harry's appearance had not been publicized that there were only a few people who knew the truth, the Weasley's, Hermione, Sirius, and the Hogwarts staff. They figured that he would be staying with Sirius in his rooms to keep him from being noticed by any of the other students and word getting out that he was back.  
  
Before they realized it, the train began to slow and they looked out the windows to see the village of Hogsmeade coming into view. They hastily pulled on their robes and followed the crowd of chattering students off the train and made their way to the waiting carriages.  
  
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Harry finished packing his trunk once Sirius had delivered the remainder of his supplies to him. He used the bed post to pull himself to his feet and once steady reached for the set of robes Dumbledore had brought him earlier. He pulled them awkwardly over his head and situated his mangled arm into the right sleeve before pulling his left arm through its sleeve.  
  
Oblivious to the fact that Sirius and Remus were sitting on the bed next to his, he waved his left hand and closed his trunk with a snap, and with another wave of his hand levitated it before making his way to the doors of the room he had lived in these past many weeks.  
  
He walked slowly down the long hallway, wincing in pain every time his right leg struck the ground, causing him to limp noticeably and cause Sirius' and Remus' hearts to break.  
  
He was forced to stop several times on his assent to Gryffindor Tower to catch his breath and take the agonizing weight from his sore leg, causing his trip to his dormitory to take nearly twenty minutes, the entire trip being followed by his parents best friends who knew better than to try to help him, that he would only brush off their help if not more and do it on his own anyways.  
  
At long last, they approached the portrait of the fat lady and they could just make out Harry's voice as he whispered the password, allowing himself access to the common room. Once he was inside, the fat lady closed behind him and Sirius and Remus turned without a word and headed toward their rooms to change before going to the great hall to await the arrival of the students.  
  
An hour later, the teachers were sitting at the head table speaking quietly among themselves when the massive doors opened slightly to admit Harry, who limped slowly toward the Gryffindor table, his head trained to his feet and his hair shielding his face from their view completely.  
  
He took a seat near the back of the table, almost hidden in the shadows, and sat unmoving with his eyes now focused on the plate before him, but if one were to watch carefully, they would notice him subconsciously pulling at the wrist of his shirt on his left arm, making sure it was covering his arm completely.  
  
About twenty minutes later, a great commotion could be heard from the entrance of the school as the great doors were opened and the students spilled into the entry hall. Apparently though, Harry either didn't notice the commotion or chose to ignore it and he continued to stare at the table before him.  
  
The doors suddenly opened with a loud bang and hundreds of students poured into the great hall. Several of them noticed the dark figure sitting alone at the Gryffindor table and they leaned over to their neighbors inquiring as to who it was and why they were already at the castle, but no one seemed to know the answer so they just continued to stare at the boy in mild curiosity before taking their own seats at their respective tables.  
  
Near the middle of the group of entering students came a red headed boy and girl and a girl with bushy brown hair. All three of them were silent and focused on finding seats until a Ravenclaw behind Hermione tapped her on the shoulder.  
  
"Who is that sitting at the Gryffindor table? Is he a transfer student or something? I don't recognize him, but then again, I can't see his face" he whispered into her ear.  
  
Curious, she looked to where he was indicating and saw the lone figure in the shadows, but she too was unable to recognize him. He looked as though he were wearing the standard black Hogwarts robes and that combined with his long dark hair and the shadows surrounding him made him impossible to identify, curious, she turned to Ron and Ginny.  
  
"Ron, Ginny, let's go see who that is, I don't recognize him and he looks like he could use some company" she told her friends as she drug them across the hall toward the figure in the corner.  
  
Not wanting to argue with Hogwarts head girl, they followed her obediently over to the table and sat across from the student, who didn't even raise his head to acknowledge their presence.  
  
He looked almost as tall as Ron, but they could tell by his loose robes that he was quite thin. He had thick pitch black hair that hung below his shoulders and with his head bowed toward the table it formed a dark curtain that shielded his features from their view.  
  
As they took their seats at the table, Ginny couldn't help but feel as though there were something familiar about this boy, but what she couldn't quite place. She seated herself next to Hermione and just continued to gaze at the boy in interest.  
  
"Hi, I'm Hermione Granger, Head Girl here at Hogwarts, and this is my boyfriend Ron Weasley and his younger sister Ginny. Where are you from? I don't think I've seen you here before" they were all shocked when he didn't even raise his head, let alone answer her questions, he just continued to stare unblinking at the table before him.  
  
Before they could ask anymore questions though, Professor McGonagall came through the door with the anxious first years following her.  
  
They all watched the sorting in silence, all but the black haired stranger anyways, and clapped when new students were sorted into their house. When the ceremony was over, Dumbledore tapped the side of his goblet for silence as he got to his feet.  
  
The hall quieted down immediately and he began his start of term speech, telling the students about the rules of the castle and introducing the staff members seated with him at the table. All the students listened politely, with their eyes fixed on the old wizard before them, and Hermione was frustrated by the new students' lack of respect as he continued to stare at the plate in front of him, not even paying attention to the headmasters' speech. Annoyed, she turned her attention back to the headmaster only to see him starring back at the boy sitting across from her. He gathered a deep breath before speaking again, his eyes never slipping off of the boy.  
  
"I have one final announcement to make to all of you and I ask you listen carefully to me. Undoubtedly, all of you are aware of the events that occurred at the castle on March fourth of last year and the disappearance of one of our students"  
  
Hermione was shocked, why was Dumbledore starring at this student in front of her while he talked about Harry, he had told them he didn't want word of Harry's reappearance getting out, so what did this boy have to do with him, unless.  
  
"We all feared that Mr. Potter had been killed by Lord Voldemort, but a few weeks after the end of term, he was found by one of our search teams. He will be rejoining his housemates and classes with the rest of you tomorrow. Now I know how anxious you are to ask him questions, but I must insist you refrain from doing so until a later date. Now, let the feast begin" with that he clapped his hands and the plates covering the table were instantly covered with delicious looking food.  
  
Most of the students were so excited about the announcement about Harry that they just starred at the boy at the end of the table in awe, waiting to see if it was indeed him as they slowly filled their plates with the food. After several minutes though when it became obvious they wouldn't see anything, they began to chatter quietly and eat their food.  
  
Hermione, Ron, and Ginny though ignored the food and just starred at the black head in front of them.  
  
"Harry? Is that you?" Ginny asked quietly, looking intently at him and seeing for the first time that his arm was held to his chest in a sling.  
  
"Please answer me Harry, I've missed you so much" she pleaded  
  
Ron and Hermione just sat in silence starring at him as well but not trusting their voices.  
  
Slowly, the boy in front of them lifted his gaze from the table and looked intently into Ginny's brown eyes, still completely oblivious to the other students in the hall who were shooting him curious looks between bites of food.  
  
When his gaze lifted to meet that of Ginny, Ron and Hermione had to control their reactions upon seeing the still unhealed cuts and bruises on his face.  
  
Ginny though smiled at her boyfriend ignoring the wounds, and he continued to hold her eyes for several minutes before turning his gaze toward those of his two best friends, who smiled at him in turn.  
  
The first thing they noticed about his eyes was how much pain was hidden in them and how much sorrow, but they were soon gone to be replaced by a wall that forced his emotions away from the surface and buried them deep inside.  
  
"It's good to see you again Harry" Hermione whispered to her friend, and Ron nodded in agreement.  
  
"It's good to be back" his answer was softly spoken and barley audible over the noise of the hall, but the three heard it and their smiles grew even wider.  
  
A moment later though, Harry had climbed back into the shell he had been in when they arrived and his eyes lost their focus as he began to dish a small amount of food onto his empty plate, which looked quite awkward since he was doing so with his left hand. Curious, they looked to his right arm and were startled to see it was held in a sling against his chest.  
  
The others followed his lead and began to dish their own dinner and ate it quietly, every once in a while trying to spark a conversation with Harry, but every attempt proved futile so they ate in silence.  
  
When dinner ended and Dumbledore dismissed them all to their common rooms, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione stood slowly and waited until the hall was almost emptied of students before turning to see Harry still sitting as though he hadn't heard the announcement.  
  
Sirius walked over to them and leaned over the table to look right at Harry for a moment before speaking quietly to his godson.  
  
"Harry, dinner is over, it's time to go to your common room, if you need me tonight, send Hedwig to get me, if not, I'll see you at breakfast."  
  
He straightened up and watched as Harry got to his feet, using the table to support his weight until they were squarely under him. He then turned and made his way slowly to the doors of the hall, limping every time his right leg made contact with the ground.  
  
Sirius then turned to the three students beside him "It will take him a while to get to the tower, his leg and ribs are still pretty painful when he walks any distance, but he won't let you help him, so don't try, just make sure he gets there alright will you?"  
  
"Of course Sirius, we would never leave him" Hermione answered honestly, smiling at him.  
  
He them bid them all goodnight before exiting the hall himself through one of the side doors.  
  
Ron, Hermione, and Ginny left through the front doors and caught up with Harry who had just begun to climb the grand marble staircase and they could all tell he was already exhausted from the effort it was costing him to do so.  
  
Although concerned for their friends' well being, they heeded Sirius' warnings and didn't try to help him, none of them knowing that the one time Sirius had tried to help Harry up the stairs he had been stunned by a flick of the black haired boys wrist and left on staircase, not reawakened until Remus had found him two hours later. Harry had successfully made it clear that he wanted to get around on his own that day.  
  
Over twenty minutes later, they reached the portrait of the fat lady and Harry whispered the password so softly that none of his friends heard him.  
  
When they entered the common room, they were met with the whole population of Gryffindor starring silently at them, or more correctly, Harry.  
  
The black haired seventh year limped straight through the common room though with his head bowed and his hair once again blocking his face from their inquisitive eyes. He proceeded to the staircase leading to his dorm and wearily climbed it to the quite of his bed, unaware of the many pairs of eyes trained on his retreating back. When they heard the door at the top of the stairs close, the students turned to Ron, Hermione, and Ginny asking a thousand questions which none of them wanted to answer so they too went to their respective dorms to go to sleep and ignored their housemates irritated expressions.  
  
As Ginny got into bed that night, her thoughts turned to the boy in the seventh year dorms and she was filled with questions. Why wouldn't he talk to anyone about what had happened, and why did he block out the world around him like it didn't exist?  
  
He had changed since she had last seen him, changed form the open, loving, and fun filled boy she loved to this empty shell who almost refused to acknowledge his friends and kept his face downcast and hidden from the world. She knew he had been through a lot since that day they had been sitting in each others arms by the lake, and she hated to see him like this, but if she were honest with herself, she realized that she was scarred of the person he had become.  
  
Not just because of the warning from Dumbledore, though that was part of the reason, but because she knew how powerful he was, if he could do magic without a wand or incantations then he was very strong indeed and that power frightened her more than anything else in the world, especially considering how much he had been through and the fact that he wouldn't let anybody close enough to him to help. With these thoughts rolling around in her mind, Ginny fell into a restless sleep, vowing to herself that she loved Harry no matter what and would do anything in her power to try to help him recover.  
  
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A/N: I know I said I would post this Thursday, but lets just say there were complications. My friend/roommate (I am away from home at college) decided we wanted to go home Thursday afternoon, which is nearly 400 miles away. She drove and we planned on coming back Friday, but she was put in the hospital and had to have emergency surgery Friday morning, so I was stranded 400 miles from school with no vehicle and no one to bring me back until today. My mom brought me up and I have just now been able to post this even though it and the next 2 chapters have been written for about a week. So, I hope you can understand this, and the next chapter tells what was going through Harry and Ron's heads during dinner and the one after that has a lot of Harry Ginny time, in fact about ten pages of it! Thanks for reviewing and please review this and let me know what you think (wow, this is a really long a/n). 


	15. Concentration

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Chapter 15  
  
When Ron had gone into the seventh year boys dorms, he didn't quite know what to expect. He should be thrilled, his best friend, whom he had not seen in almost six months now and for half of that time thought was dead, was in the same room as him again.  
  
He wanted to sit next to him and fill him in on everything he had done since they had last been together, his fathers promotion, his relationship with Hermione which had just begun when he disappeared, and countless other things that they had been unable to talk about for far too long, but he knew this wouldn't happen.  
  
The months when he was missing had done something to Harry, had changed him. His eyes were not the eyes of his best friend, on the contrary, they were like the eyes of a complete stranger.  
  
According to what Dumbledore had written to his family during the summer, he hadn't let the invisible walls surrounding him fall for even an instant, refusing to allow anybody close to him, and Ron didn't know if he could do anything to change that.  
  
As he quietly opened the door to their dormitory, the first thing he noticed was Harry sitting at the foot of his bed pulling his pajamas from his trunk.  
  
"Hey Harry" he said to the back of the boy in front of him as he knelt at his own trunk, but the other boy didn't even acknowledge his greeting as he pulled his robes over his head. Sighing, Ron just stood there and began to change his own cloths for bed, and when he had finished, he looked back to look at Harry who had pulled his pajama pants on and was currently trying to get his shirt on over his bandaged right arm, looking almost frustrated as he did so.  
  
After several moments, he had succeeded and was fumbling with the buttons along the front of the shirt. Still heading Sirius' warning not to interfere, Ron stood and made his way to the sink in the other room and as he washed his face, he looked in the mirror in front of him and saw Harry was now lying back on his bed, his shirt hanging opened as though he had given up the effort of trying to button it.  
  
Sighing once again, Ron walked back toward his bed and glanced at his friend curiously, noticing with a knot of pain in his stomach that his entire chest and abdomen were covered in deep scars cut in some sort of crude pattern.  
  
Looking at his friends battered face, he realized that he had fallen asleep, his eyes were closed and his breathing was shallow but regular. Knowing that he probably wanted his privacy when the other occupants of the room came up, Ron silently drew the hangings around Harry's bed closed before collapsing into his own and falling into a restless sleep.  
  
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No matter how much he despised what he was about to do, he knew it was the only thing he could do. He missed his friends dearly and all the time he had been without Ginny's loving arms caused a knot to form in his stomach, but he had no choice.  
  
He was slowly packing all of his new school books and supplies for his final year at Hogwarts into his trunk as he sat on his bed in the hospital wing on September first.  
  
He was vaguely aware of Dumbledore coming in and talking to him for a couple minutes, but he couldn't remember what he had said or what it pertained to.  
  
Sirius had barley left his side during his entire stay in the infirmary and Harry was eternally grateful for his godfathers presence and emotional support. Remus had been present much of the time as well, forcing Sirius to sleep for a few hours himself every night and eat on a regular basis.  
  
Contrary to what his parents best friends may think, he was actually aware of most of the conversations taking place around him, he just chose not to acknowledge or respond to them, not willing to risk losing his concentration on the most important task he was trying to accomplish.  
  
He knew that every time he let his mind slip for any length of time that the consequences were dire to say the least.  
  
Pulling himself out of the depressing thoughts and saw the new black Hogwarts robes sitting on the bed beside him. Guessing that either Sirius or Dumbledore had set it there for him to put on before the feast he obliged, pulling it clumsily over his head before fastening the clasp at his throat.  
  
Looking into his trunk to make sure everything was packed and noticing it was, he used the bed post to pull himself to his feet, wincing as his knee straightened out.  
  
He knew Sirius and Remus were still sitting on a bed behind him, but he ignored them and waved his left hand to make his trunk close with a loud bang. He they waved his hand again and the heavy trunk was levitated from the ground and began to follow him as he set off toward the doors of the infirmary.  
  
He heard two separate sets of footsteps following him through out the vast corridors but he continued on his way without acknowledging those following him. Several times on his way to the dormitory he was forced to stop and lean against the cold stone walls to regain his breath before continuing on his way. He hated not being able to move around freely without becoming weak and breathless because of the pain that stabbed his entire body with every step he took, but he couldn't allow Sirius and Remus to try to help him so he continued to walk haltingly the entire way to the portrait of the fat lady guarding the entrance to Gryffindor tower. He didn't know how he knew the password but as soon as he opened his mouth, the words 'phoenix feather' slipped out and the portrait swung open before the fat lady had an opportunity to say a word to him.  
  
He went inside and was relieved when the entrance closed behind him before Sirius and Remus had an opportunity to follow him in.  
  
Collapsing into one of the many plush chairs in the room, he waved his arm and his trunk disappeared up the steps to the seventh year dorms and he heard a slight thump as it dropped to the floor at the foot of his bed.  
  
He laid back on the chair and closed his eyes intent on getting a few moments rest before he had to make his way back down to the great hall so he could arrive before all the students did and hopefully not be noticed until the speech Dumbledore was undoubtedly going to give that night.  
  
He didn't notice that he was slipping into sleep until it was too late to do anything about it.  
  
He was still lying on the cold floor facing the wall and listening to the death eaters yell at each other furiously about the predicament they had found themselves in.  
  
"What do you mean you still haven't found anyway out of here Nott?" asked a cruel voice.  
  
"We've been looking nonstop for six days Lucius, but wherever we are can't be escaped from by magic or muggle means"  
  
Six days. Had he really been lying on that floor for six days?  
  
"We need to find a way out of this hell hole Nott" growled the other man, apparently Draco's father.  
  
"Where exactly are we Malfoy?"  
  
"I have no idea, but I do know that that little bastard Potter is responsible for it and if he were still alive he would pay for what he has done to the dark lord and his supporters"  
  
They thought he was dead? How had they not noticed he was indeed alive if they had been only a couple dozen feet from each other for so many days?  
  
Just then he heard the sound of feet approaching from behind him. He shut his eyes tight and held his breath in hopes that they would just pass him by and continue to think he was dead.  
  
He heard the feet stop next to him and felt a sharp boot kick him roughly in the back sending white hot knives of pain up his spine.  
  
Startled, he let out a small gasp and he heard an intake of breath behind him and the sound of swishing robes as someone bent down and grasp his shoulder roughly and rolled him onto his back.  
  
"Well, well, well, I have a surprise for you Lucius" he called over his shoulder as he laughed a cold and menacing laugh.  
  
"What is it Goyle, and this had better be important" the other man growled back as he too approached the side of the room.  
  
"He's alive" was the only reply he received  
  
"Well, it seems our young friend Mr. Potter is once again the boy who lived, though not for long this time around I'm afraid" the voice was smooth as silk and thick with a note of triumph "Bring him and we shall have some fun"  
  
Harry felt the hand on his shoulder tighten as he was forced to his feet and drug stumbling into the center of the large chamber, knowing what was about to come and wishing that the curse had killed him like it was intended to.  
  
Harry woke with a start, covered with a cold sweat and trembling once again. He awoke every morning in the same state and he had not been able to get a single nights sleep without being plagued by nightmares about his time in the chamber since his return.  
  
Groaning to himself, he made a slight movement with his wrist and his robes were dry once again, but there was nothing he could do for his shaking except wait for it to subside on its own, which it did about ten minutes later.  
  
Looking out the window, he noticed it was beginning to get dark out, meaning the rest of the students would be arriving shortly. Knowing he would have to face them all eventually, he got to his feet and straightened out his robes, making sure his collar was still buttoned and his sleeve cuff was pulled down as far as it could possibly go so that there was no risk of his secret being revealed.  
  
Dumbledore had said at some point that nobody except for Sirius, Remus, Poppy, Snape, and himself knew about the dark mark tattooed on his arm, and Harry intended to keep it that way at all costs.  
  
Satisfied by his appearance, he left the tower and haltingly made his way to the great hall.  
  
When he reached the entrance hall, he noticed with satisfaction that it was empty and there were no voices coming from the great hall, meaning that he had beat the other students.  
  
He made his way to the large doors and opened one just wide enough to allow him through and he entered the beautiful and magical hall, taking a deep breath to prepare himself for what was to come next.  
  
He felt the eyes of all the professors on him as he entered the hall, and ducking his head to hide his face he proceeded toward the Gryffindor table where he took a seat at the far end, well hidden in the shadows.  
  
He still felt their eyes on him so he focused all of his energies on the plate in front of him, every so often gripping the wrist of his shirt and pulling it down as far as it could go.  
  
After many agonizingly long minutes he heard the front doors bang open, causing his heart to skip a beat in anxiety of the moment that was quickly approaching, with one last pull at his sleeve, he sat in silence with his head bowed.  
  
A few seconds later, the doors to the great hall opened fully and hundreds of black robe clad students entered. He felt the eyes of several of them on him, and heard curious questions being asked about who he was and why he was there, but nobody had the answers.  
  
Looking through the veil of his thick, long hair, he noticed three familiar figures enter the hall and felt a pang in his heart. A boy behind Hermione whispered something into her ear and she turned and looked in his direction curiously before saying something to Ron and Ginny and grabbing the boys arm dragging him over to the shadowed area of the table.  
  
They all sat down across from him and Hermione introduced herself, her boyfriend, and his little sister. Harry was pleased to hear his best friend had been named head girl, but he didn't risk letting that pleasure show on his face, which was still trained on the table before him.  
  
He noticed all three were still looking at him intently, waiting for him to answer something Hermione had asked him, but before they had a chance to ask anymore questions, the doors opened again and Professor McGonagall entered leading the first years in to be sorted.  
  
He listened with half an ear as their names and houses were announced but kept most of his energy focused on his own thoughts. Several times during the sorting he noticed Hermione looking at him as though she were frustrated by his lack of interest, but she didn't say anything.  
  
After the last student had been sorted, he distantly heard Dumbledore making the start of term announcements and sighed inwardly to himself, knowing what was next, and sure enough, he felt the penetrating blue eyes focused on him and he caught the professors gaze and kept his eyes locked with the older mans for a fraction of a second, telling him to continue, noticing Hermione's eyes on him as well and knowing she had figured it out.  
  
Harry didn't pay attention to the words Dumbledore said, but he knew when the secret was out as heard the ringing silence fill the hall and every head present turn to look at him in amazement and utter shock. They remained that way for several minutes before they noticed the food on the plates before them and began to eat and conversations broke out all over the hall.  
  
Ginny and his two best friends though just continued to look at him in wonder before Ginny said something to him. He didn't hear the words, but he didn't have to. He heard the love coming from her voice and the desperation for him to open up to her. He knew it was a risk, but he allowed his eyes to meet hers and it filled his heart with warmth that he hadn't felt in far too long. Her beautiful brown eyes captured his green ones and he didn't look away for several minutes, afraid he would not see those eyes again if he did so.  
  
Her beautiful face broke into genuine smile that lit up her eyes that he still held until she blinked. He then turned to his best friends and saw that Hermione's were filled with tears and Ron's were shining with happiness. He decided it was worth it for him to risk saying a few words to them and in answer, Hermione said something to him, but it passed by unhearing ears as he broke the gaze suddenly and was pulled back into his own mind and thoughts to make up for his short slip in concentration.  
  
He clumsily used his left hand to dish food onto his plate for dinner and was pleased to see the three across from him do the same. He kept hearing them ask him questions, but he was unable to answer then since he was so consumed with himself, and he didn't become aware of his surroundings again until he saw the face of Sirius in front of him telling him to go to bed.  
  
Obeying his godfather, he got shakily to his feet and made his way out the doors and up the stairs, again aware of people following him, no doubt Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.  
  
He got to the portrait of the fat lady and whispered the password which allowed him to enter, only to be faced by the entire Gryffindor house starring at him in silence. Ignoring their questioning looks, he made his way to the dormitory where he was joined by Ron a few moments later.  
  
He changed out of his black robes and into his pajamas after sorting through his trunk for a long sleeved shirt to sleep in. It took him some effort to get the shirt over his bandaged arm, but he eventually succeeded. Even after all the weeks he had been back at the castle, there was one thing he couldn't accomplish, and that was buttoning his shirt with one hand. His right hand was completely useless as was his arm and trying to button his shirts with only his left hand working was nearly impossible, so he gave up and fell back onto his bed and into a deep sleep almost instantly, not even drawing the hangings around his bed closed.  
  
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	16. A Glimpse into Your Nightmare

Chapter 16  
  
Ginny was finding it impossible to sleep any longer, thoughts and memories about Harry were running laps through her thoughts and plaguing her dreams. Looking out the grand window beside her bed, she realized that there were still several hours until the other students would be rising to get ready for classes.  
  
Sighing to herself, she threw the tangled blankets that were covering her back and climbed out of the bed, resigned to study if she couldn't get any sleep. She grabbed her dressing gown and transfiguration book off of her desk and silently made her way out the door of her dormitory, not wanting to wake the other occupants of her dormitory.  
  
After closing the door behind her, she tiredly climbed down the stairs to the common room of Gryffindor tower. When she reached the base of the stairs, she was surprised to see the shadow of another person sitting on one of the plush arm chairs before the fire. She turned hastily to go back to her room to change into something more appropriate, not wanting to embarrass herself by being seen by someone she didn't know in her night dress and dressing gown.  
  
As she was about to make her way back up the stairs though, she felt the eyes of someone on her back. Turning back around, she saw the person before the fire staring at her intently, and as she looked back she saw unmistakable emerald eyes fixed intently on her.  
  
"Harry! I didn't realize it was you" she said as she made her way to the fire hesitantly, not knowing how to approach her boyfriend for the first time since their relationship began.  
  
He just continued to stare at her unblinkingly as she came to a halt next to the chair that he was sitting in and returned his stare, but coming nowhere close to the intensity that his held. They remained in that position for several minutes before she broke the gaze and began to speak, but only one word would leave her lips, a name she never thought she would be able to speak again when he had disappeared.  
  
"Harry"  
  
She had decided one thing while she held his gaze, that no matter what others might have reason to believe, he was not evil, not truly. His eyes betrayed much of what he was feeling, and she had realized with a shock that his earlier barriers had faded completely and he was sitting before her as Harry, the seventeen year old, black haired, green eyed boy she had secretly admired since she first set eyes on him until the day she realized that the worship had turned to love.  
  
"What are you doing down here Harry? Ron is going to have a heart attack when he wakes up and you're gone you know" she smiled slightly at the thought of her brother frantic with worry when he realized his best friend was not in the dormitory.  
  
She was surprised to see a small smile grace Harry's face as well for a fraction of an instant.  
  
"I could ask you the same question" his voice was barley above that of a whisper but it held a strength that would make even the loudest room fall into silence in order to hear his words.  
  
She was startled to hear him speak at all though, because according to what Dumbledore had said, he hadn't said a word to anybody since he had turned up at the hospital and now he had spoken to her twice.  
  
She grinned sheepishly at him before answering.  
  
"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to get a head start on my reading for transfiguration, you?"  
  
"Just thinking" he answered, still not taking his eyes from her  
  
"Would you like some company?" she asked hesitantly, hoping he wouldn't turn her away.  
  
"Please, would you sit with me for a bit?" he asked, his voice even quieter as he said these words  
  
Nodding, she made her way to the chair next to his to sit.  
  
"Not there, over here, I won't bite" he said with a small half smile  
  
Not quite sure what to do, she just looked at him intently. Sure, during the time they had been together, they had sat curled together in each others arms, but she was unsure about what she should do for a few moments before approaching Harry hesitantly and perching herself awkwardly on the arm of the chair.  
  
"How are you feeling?" she asked the boy beside her  
  
"I've been worse, how about you?"  
  
Typical Harry, she thought, always worrying about everyone else's well being before his own.  
  
"Better now than I have been in a long time, I've missed you so much"  
  
With those words, all awkwardness slipped out of the situation and she glanced at him as he lifted his arm and fixed it around her slim waist and pulled her onto his lap, holding her close to himself as he spoke against her hair.  
  
"I never wanted to leave you Ginny, but it was the only choice I had, and I want you to know I meant what I said that day, I love you"  
  
"I don't blame you for leaving me Harry, I understand you had to do it, but I wish you had never been put in that position to start out with, and I feel the same way about you, I love you too"  
  
He seamed to sigh with relief at her words and pulled her closer to himself still, and she rested her head on his chest, relishing the sound of his heart beating in his chest and the gentle rise and fall of his breathing. His arm was wrapped around her body in a protective manner, occasionally squeezing her shoulder gently.  
  
They sat that way for a long time, just thinking their own thoughts about how nice it was to at least have one thing almost normal again. As the sun was seen peaking over the distant mountains, Ginny spoke again, turning to look deep into his eyes as she did so.  
  
"What happened Harry? Where have you been and why are you so closed off to everyone else now? Sirius is worried about you, so are Ron and Hermione. You know you can tell me anything, I won't tell them unless you want me to"  
  
He closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath before again looking into her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry Gin, I can't tell you everything, but I will tell you some. If you want to tell the others, than feel free to do so, it's your choice."  
  
He took another deep breath to still his nerves before continuing again, his voice still barley above that of a whisper and his eyes taking on a distant haunted look.  
  
"Somehow, I sent the dementors to Azkaban and took Voldemort and the death eaters to some sort of chamber underground in the mountains. When I woke up, I was lying against a wall in a big domed room and I could hear the voices of the death eaters talking behind me. They were talking about how they had been looking for six days for a way out, but couldn't find one. I listened to them for a while before they started talking about me. They said something I still can't figure out, they said that if I weren't dead that I would be able to get them out of there. Apparently they thought that the killing curse had worked. Someone came up behind me then and kicked me in the back, I guess he was trying to take out his frustration on my body, but when he kicked me, he figured out I was not dead and pulled me to my feet as he yelled at Lucius Malfoy and told him what he found out. Malfoy came over then and he had an insane look on his face. He told the other man to bring me to the chamber and he would make me regret what I had done"  
  
He looked back to Ginny and saw tears running down her pale cheeks as she looked in his eyes and listened to him tell his story and he knew for her sake that he couldn't tell her anymore. He knew that he would be burdened with the images of that time for the rest of his life, and he couldn't do the same to one he cared so much about. He pulled her closer to himself and felt the tears running down her face as she silently cried into his robes.  
  
"I won't tell you what happened next, I think you have a pretty good idea about that. I'm sorry I told you anything at all, I didn't mean to upset you" he whispered as he rocked her back and forth in his lap.  
  
"No Harry, I'm glad you did, you shouldn't have to face all of this on your own and I won't let you" she said, her tear stained face looking into his stubbornly as she lifted her hand and carefully brushed his long strands of raven hair from his face gently, so she could look into his eyes unhindered and he see that she was speaking the truth.  
  
He smiled sadly at her words and thought to himself about how lucky he was to have found her and earned her love.  
  
"Alright, but lets wait until later to talk about the rest, let's just sit here for a while"  
  
"That sounds good to me" she answered as she curled back up on his lap and rested her head on his shoulder, his arm still around her.  
  
He gently shifted his weight and wrapped her up in his cloak with him to keep her warm and rested his own head on top of hers in peaceful contentment.  
  
They both slipped into peaceful sleep and were still in that position when the other members of Gryffindor house descended the stairs on their way to breakfast.  
  
As the students descended the stairs, they couldn't miss the sight that greeted them in front of the fire. Most didn't quite know how to react when they saw Ginny Weasley curled up and sound asleep in Harry Potter's arms. No one wanted to wake the sleeping pair as they opened the portrait hole, so they just stood around the room and waited in silence until Ron and Hermione descended the stairs hand in hand.  
  
They looked curiously around the room at the faces of the silent students before their eyes fell on the sleeping forms of Harry and Ginny.  
  
The two of them were still hesitant about their friend, especially after what Dumbledore had told them at the burrow, but seeing him holding Ginny so protectively helped to alleviate some of those worries. They dropped each others hands and approached the plush chair quietly. Ron put his hand out and rested it on Harry's shoulder to wake him up, but as soon as his hand contacted his best friend, Harry's eyes flew open and were alight with a terrible green fire that they had only seen when he faced Voldemort.  
  
He tightened his grip on his girlfriend and lifted his left hand at Ron and the red head instantly flew across the common room, landing with a hard bang on the floor. The screams from the other students awoke Ginny and she jumped to her feet and took in the scene before her, first her brother lying sprawled on the floor with a look of abject shock on his face, the other students scrambling out the portrait hole in fear, Hermione with her mouth hanging open and her eyes traveling from her boyfriend to Harry, fear evident in her expression.  
  
Ginny then looked down at Harry herself and saw his eyes were wide and filled with terror and he was trembling from head to toe, his gaze never leaving his friend and his arm still stretched in front of himself, his face void of all color.  
  
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A/N: Is this mean or what? I just couldn't resist but don't worry because if I get some good reviews, I'll post more tonight or tomorrow morning. I hope you all enjoy this part and the previous chapter, I figured I would make up for making you wait so long for the last chapter so here you go! Hope it makes sense and if not, leave your questions in a review and I'll answer them in the next chapter. 


	17. Friendship Shattered

Chapter 17  
  
Ginny finally regained her voice and kneeled on the floor in front of Harry, placing herself between Harry's eyes and Ron.  
  
"Harry, what happened?" she asked gently, looking into his fear filled green eyes.  
  
She heard sounds behind her as Hermione helped Ron to his feet and out the portrait hole, both of them in shock and not saying a word to either of them.  
  
"Harry, please answer me" she begged him  
  
Slowly his eyes lost some of the terror they held and he locked his gaze with hers.  
  
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt him, but I just can't control it sometimes and I end up doing things I regret, he startled me and I was afraid, I had to protect you and I couldn't control it" he muttered quietly, his voice trembling as he whispered the words before his gaze fell to the floor, still trembling violently.  
  
Just then, the entrance of the common room burst open to reveal Sirius and Dumbledore, both nervous and agitated looking.  
  
"Harry, are you alright? The students were in quite a state as they entered the great hall" said Dumbledore as he cautiously approached the chair with Sirius on his heels.  
  
Harry just continued to tremble unceasingly and kept his eyes trained on the floor before him, not answering the headmasters' question.  
  
Dumbledore sighed heavily and turned to Sirius.  
  
"Perhaps you were right Sirius, maybe Harry isn't ready for all of this quite yet, why don't you take him down to your rooms and Miss. Weasley can go down and join the other students at breakfast"  
  
"Yes headmaster, come on Harry, lets get you settled" he said in a resigned voice as he looked at his godson.  
  
"No!" Ginny exclaimed, grabbing Harry's hand in her own "He didn't mean to do it, he was asleep and Ron startled him when he woke him up" she tried to explain hopefully  
  
"That may be the case Ginny, but the fact still remains that he may not be ready to face classes and the other students yet" said Sirius, his expression tortured at having to say those things about his best friends son.  
  
"He's ready I tell you! I know he is, please give him a chance" she begged the two older men, her hand still gripping Harry's fiercely, as though afraid she might loose him again if she were to let go.  
  
Sirius looked like he was about to counter her words when a voice from beside her spoke up.  
  
"Please sir, let me stay, I didn't mean what happened, he just startled me, please don't make me leave" his eyes never left the floor and his voice was never above that of a whisper, but his words echoed around the empty room like he had screamed them, pleading with the headmaster and his godfather.  
  
Sirius looked completely floored by the fact that Harry had spoken, and he could only stare at his godson in amazement.  
  
"Are you sure Harry?" asked Dumbledore worriedly  
  
Harry nodded his head and Ginny squeezed his hand in reassurance.  
  
"You can tell them if you want Gin" he told the girl, looking into her face  
  
She smiled at him and nodded her own head before turning to look at the confused men behind her.  
  
"Could I speak to you for a moment outside" she asked them as she stood and without waiting for their answer she made her way to the portrait hole.  
  
Curiosity winning over, they followed her in silence and when they reached the hallway Dumbledore spoke up.  
  
"What do you wish to tell us Ginny?" he asked kindly, looking at the red headed girl before him.  
  
"Last night, Harry told me a little about what happened while he was gone" she began and continued to tell them everything he had confided in her the night before and concluding with what had happened between Harry and Ron that morning "so you see, he didn't mean to hurt my brother, he was just trying to protect me" she looked into their eyes and decided that she might as well say one more thing while she had their attention "I know everyone else might not agree with me, but Harry is not evil. He has always been the complete opposite of evil and defended everyone less powerful than himself. Harry would never turn evil and I can't believe either of you would believe he could for an instant"  
  
There, she had said it. The thing she had been wanting to say ever since Dumbledore's amazing accusation at the burrow. Both men looked at her in shock, as though not quite believing she had just spoken those words to them.  
  
"Ginny, we know Harry is not evil, but he is unpredictable right now and his powers are incredible, as you saw this morning. If we truly thought he was indeed evil, we never would have let him return to the tower. It seems that you are the only one he is going to open up to, and I ask that you relay anything he may tell you to us, so that maybe we could better understand what happened to not only Harry, but to Voldemort and his supporters as well. We will check out areas such as you have described to us and see if we can find this chamber Harry spoke of. Please tell Harry that he has our permission to go to class and take him down to breakfast so he can get something to eat, we will check on both of you this evening" he said, his blue eyes fixed intently on her face for a moment before he and Sirius walked down the hall.  
  
Ginny turned and went back into the common room and found Harry standing there waiting for her. She smiled at him and held out her hand for his, giving it a squeeze telling him without words that everything was alright before she went to her dormitory to change into her robes so they could go down to breakfast.  
  
Ten minutes later, the pair walked across the empty entry hall and were approaching the Great Hall hand in hand when Harry stopped abruptly.  
  
"What am I thinking Gin? I can't go in there, not after what I did to Ron, they all hate me"  
  
"Relax Harry, nobody will hate you and I'll be right here the whole time, I would never leave you" she replied as she pulled him forward gently and opened the massive doors to allow both of them to enter.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Sirius had just entered the great hall and was taking his seat next to Remus for the second time that morning, anxious to see Harry and make sure he was alright after the incident in the common room. The past months he had barley left the boys side for an instant, taking care of his every need and always being near in case he wanted to talk, though he never did and it seamed as though Ginny had taken over that role now that she had returned to Hogwarts.  
  
The previous night had been torture for him and he spent the majority of it pacing back and forth in his small room, expecting Harry's owl to fly through the window at any moment because he was needed, but it never came.  
  
He was both relieved and depressed by this. Relieved that maybe being around his friends again was helping Harry, that just maybe he would be alright now that they were there. He was depressed though because his godson didn't seem to need him any longer. This summer had been the first time they had been able to spend much time together at all, apart from the two weeks after his name was cleared and before Harry disappeared. For the duration of Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts, he had been on various missions for Dumbledore and stopped by only a handful of times to check in and only then stayed a couple of hours before leaving again, and other than that, they had been forced to keep in touch through the letters that were constantly exchanged. His mission for Dumbledore had continued until Peter had been spotted and himself declared innocent at which time he had come to Hogwarts to assist Remus with his classes. Those two weeks had been wonderful, with Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione coming by on a regular basis to visit and Sirius had finally begun to feel like he was fulfilling the role James and Lily had given him as Harry's godfather, but that feeling was destroyed the day he disappeared.  
  
He and Remus had been in Hogesmede when the attack had begun but Dumbledore had sent Fawkes to get them and all others in the village to come help with the fight. They had taken the secret passage into the castle and had made it onto the grounds just in time to see five death eaters pointing their wands at someone in the bushes, but neither knew who was in there until they looked at Dumbledore's face and saw tears in his eyes, and they realized it could only be Harry. They had tried to attack the death eaters along with the other teachers and had been bound and gagged by those members of the enemy who were not holding the curse in response to their efforts to help the boy.  
  
He had never been so relieved in his life when he saw Harry come out of the woods, but upon seeing the pain in his eyes his heart felt like it was breaking. He had watched with the pride of a father as Harry took on Voldemort as he himself stunned as many of his followers as possible and had tried his hardest to get to the boy's side after he collapsed within the magical barrier, but he was too busy trying to fight off the remaining death eaters to make it before Harry stood again and went to Ginny and Draco.  
  
He watched again helpless as the killing curse was thrown at his godson and as the bright flash of light took him away. He had tried his hardest to find him, but nowhere he looked held any hope for his survival until that morning Albus had given them the article and his heart was once again filled with hope.  
  
He was shocked by the extent of his injuries when he saw him in the hospital, but he knew he would recover, he always did, but he couldn't explain his reaction at seeing the horrible tattoo for the first time.  
  
He had at first felt as though the entire world had fallen in on his heart, how was it possible that the boy who had saved the wizarding world from Voldemort more than once would have joined his ranks, for that was what he though had happened at first.  
  
His next thought was that Harry was no longer his godson, that he was some sort of evil imposter made to look like Harry and get their hopes up, but that too was dashed when he looked back on the boys face.  
  
His final reaction was the one he now believed to be true, that Harry had been forced somehow and for some reason to get the dark mark burned into his arm, that he was not evil or an imposter but an abused boy with no way of preventing this from happening to him.  
  
He had spent the next months by his godsons side, caring for him endlessly and trying to fulfill his assigned role as best he could and trying to let Harry know that there was someone who cared for him greatly.  
  
But regardless of all his efforts, Harry had never opened up to him, had never spoken a word in his presence and because of this he didn't believe Albus when he first said that Harry wanted to return to classes. He didn't believe that Harry thought himself ready to return to his dormitory and classes like all the other students, but the more he though it over the more it sounded just like something Harry would say, so he agreed.  
  
He was just taking his seat at the great hall when the doors burst opened and several Gryffindor students came running full force to the head table, telling Dumbledore that Harry had attacked Ron.  
  
Sirius jumped to his feet immediately and followed the retreating back of the aged headmaster to the Gryffindor tower where he saw Harry sitting in a chair and Ginny on the floor before him, fear and regret evident on his face. He listened to what Ginny had said and to Dumbledore's suggestion, agreeing whole heartedly with his words, but he was shocked when he heard a quiet voice speak up and say that it wanted to go to classes.  
  
He followed Ginny into the hall and listened intently to what Harry had told her the night before and was happy to hear he had finally opened up to someone, but sad it had not been him who finally got him to do so. Harry's actions had been completely understandable given the circumstances and he hoped the rest of the students could see it that way as well, but he feared they wouldn't.  
  
Just then, the doors to the great hall opened up and Harry and Ginny entered hand in hand.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hermione couldn't believe what had just happened, Harry Potter, her best friend for the past six years had just attacked Ron.  
  
She was running down the hallway outside of Gryffindor tower pulling Ron along behind her and it was obvious that both of them were in shock.  
  
She heard footsteps coming their way and jerked her boyfriend into an empty classroom to wait until whoever was coming passed them. As she pulled the door shut behind them, she caught a glimpse of black and white hair at the far end of the hall and she knew it was Sirius and Dumbledore on their way to the common room.  
  
Hesitantly, she turned to face Ron, not knowing what she would find in his eyes when she did so.  
  
At first, he looked utterly shocked, then bewildered before his eyes turned cold and angry.  
  
"Ron" she said with hesitation  
  
"What" he snapped back, clearly angry  
  
"What are we going to do?"  
  
"What do you mean 'we'? You and I did nothing wrong" he answered crisply  
  
"Ron, do you really think he meant to hurt you? He's Harry, our best friend remember, he would never hurt either of us, he's spent the entire time we have known him protecting us" she admonished gently, pleading with him to understand what she was saying, though she didn't know if she believed her own words.  
  
"You're right Hermione, Harry has never and would never hurt either of us willingly," she closed her eyes and sighed in relief before he continued "but that person in there is not Harry" her eyes shot up to meet his in an instant, her relief gone immediately.  
  
"What are you saying Ron?" she asked in a stony voice  
  
"You heard me Hermione, that is not Harry, it may look like him but the fact remains that it is not him. The Harry that you and I know would never have cursed his friends, no matter what the circumstances. As far as I am concerned, the person we knew is dead, killed by Voldemort while protecting Ginny and Malfoy six months ago, and what just happened only proves me right and you know it. The person we thought was our friend is not Harry but some shell of him filled with terrible evil and nothing you can say or do will change my mind about this. As far as I am concerned, Harry Potter is dead, and we both attended his memorial service" he said, his voice remaining steady and his gaze never wavering from that of Hermione even though her eyes had begun to spill over with tears upon hearing his harsh words.  
  
He turned on his heel and strode from the room and fearing the loss of him as well, Hermione dried her eyes and followed him from the room and down to the great hall for breakfast. Her heart didn't want to believe what he said, but her brain told her otherwise, that what Ron had said was true and in the end, logic won. She sat next to him at the Gryffindor table and told him she agreed with him before beginning to pick at her breakfast and wish that the previous six months had never happened.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* A/N: This is kinda choppy I know, but I have one question for you, do you hate me or what? Thanks so much for all your nice reviews you are all wonderful and thank you again! I'm almost done with the next part, but it'll be a day or two, after all, I have posted four chapters in three days so I deserve a break right? Hope you like it and please let me know what you think! 


	18. Blinded by Hate

Chapter 18  
  
As the doors to the great hall opened, all conversations within ceased immediately and every eye in the room turned to look at the petite red haired girl holding the hand of the tall black haired boy.  
  
Even though Ron and Hermione had not said a word to anybody else since entering the hall, word had quickly spread to the other houses about what had happened to Ron in the common room that morning.  
  
The entire hall was silent, and to the outside observer the tension was tangible between the two in the doorway and the rest of the student body. None of the other professors had heard about the events that had happened and were shocked by what was going on to say the least and had no idea about what they should do.  
  
Sirius looked over to Dumbledore who looked as though he had been pierced through the heart with a sharp blade. He knew the feeling all to well, but there was no way he could convince the rest of the students to treat Harry normal again because the fact remained that Harry had changed, and he hoped not for the worse. If nothing else, the students at Hogwarts as a whole had become closer since the battle, and even if there was still animosity between houses, there were no more fights and they were all willing to defend each other against anything or anybody that threatened their schoolmates.  
  
Dumbledore wanted to get to his feet and force the students to see the truth, but he knew doing so would only serve for them to treat the boy-who- lived even worse which would not help anything, so sighing internally and closing his eyes in weariness for a moment, he was forced to watch and not act.  
  
Ginny was furious, the entire hall was just sitting there starring at Harry and not saying a word, but unlike previous instances, there was no admiration or hero worship in their eyes. Instead, there was hate, malice, and even a little fear. Almost all of the students present had seen the battle last year between Harry and Voldemort and they all had a good idea about just how magically powerful and physically strong he really was and none of them wanted to face him alone in a battle, but they seemed to believe in the old adage strength in numbers and were instead facing him together.  
  
They were sending him a silent message that clearly said that he was not welcome among them. They didn't trust him anymore, especially after what had happened to Ron, and though nobody knew where he had been these past months or what had happened to him, they honestly thought he had become evil.  
  
Ginny couldn't believe that they were doing this to Harry, hadn't he proved over and over again that he was against all that was evil, but they could just forget all of this and turn on him as soon as he made a mistake. Her heart sank quickly though as she realized that Harry knew that this was going to happen, he had said just that in the entry hall only moments before, yet he had trusted her and come in here anyways. The thought of this made her completely furious and she was on the verge of speaking her mind to the rest of the students when a sudden movement to her right brought her attention back to the person standing there.  
  
Harry roughly pulled his hand from hers and she turned to face him, afraid she would only see her boyfriend broken and emotionally shattered, but she saw something even worse.  
  
His head was held high and defiant, starring out over the students still seated in the hall. His legendary emerald eyes were alight with a raging fire, anger showing it's ugly face to the other students, but Ginny saw sadness and deep depression in the brilliant eyes as well. Before she realized what was happening, he turned on his heel and set off out the doors again. She watched his retreating back along with the other students until he raised his hand and the doors slammed shut behind him with a resounding bang, echoing through the otherwise still and silent hall.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Once Harry left the great hall, he slowed his frantic pace to try and decide what to do. He was shocked by his so called friends' reactions, but it wasn't completely unexpected when he thought back to what had occurred during his second year and their hast to label him as evil then and history seemed to be repeating itself.  
  
He decided with no hesitation that he didn't want to go back to the great hall or the common room, and the same went for classes, he just didn't want to face all of this right now, he thought he could when he was with Ginny, Sirius, and Dumbledore a few minutes earlier, but that conviction had changed drastically now. Normally when he wanted peace and quiet, he would go to the quidditch pitch, or the lake, or Hagrid's hut, but right now he didn't have the energy to venture outside, let alone sit on a broom, so he set off in the direction of the only other place he could be alone for a few hours.  
  
Wearily, he made his way to the fourth floor and found a familiar painting of an old wizard sitting at a large table reading a book. He looked up in surprise at the boy before smiling brightly.  
  
"Harry, I assume you're here to see your godfather, but he's gone to breakfast" he said cheerily. He had gotten used to the boy coming by every since Sirius had come to the school and liked the boy and his friends quite a bit.  
  
"I know Russell, could you please let me wait inside, I don't want to see the other students when they come to classes" he said quietly, and even though the man in the portrait hadn't received the password, he took note of the boy's desperate face that was laced with anger and suffering so he allowed the boy entry into the quarters behind him.  
  
Once inside, Harry took notice of the familiar surroundings of his godfathers' rooms. The small living room held a roaring fire with two arm chairs and a plush sofa sitting in front of it. All the furniture in the room was a deep burgundy color and it reminded him strongly of the Gryffindor common room. There was a large window beside the fireplace that over looked the grounds and if you looked into the distance you could just make out the golden hoops of the quidditch pitch.  
  
There was a large bookshelf on the other side of the fire holding many fascinating books about not only defense against the dark arts but just about every other subject imaginable. Hermione had loved coming here with him, not only to visit Sirius but to read his books as well.  
  
In the corner of the room was a small desk piled high with quills and parchment, showing just how unorganized Sirius could be at times. There were two bedrooms off to the side of this main room, one was the master bedroom and the other was the room that was meant for Harry to stay in during the beginning of the summer while the restorations to Black Manor were being completed.  
  
Harry took a seat in one of the arm chairs to wait for Sirius to return from lessons and soon found himself slipping into sleep.  
  
He was sitting on the floor in a dark room. The only noise he heard was his own ragged breathing. He had been in this room for a couple of days at least, every since Nott and Malfoy had discovered he was alive. Unlike the higher ranking death eaters, the adult Crabbe and Goyle had not felt above physically beating him senseless when they found out the truth and Malfoy had just laughed at what he saw. He knew he at least had a couple broken ribs and he could still fell the swelling over one of his eyes and the dried blood on his chest and cheek where their punches had broken his skin.  
  
Before they had begun their assault, he had gotten a brief glimpse of the place they were in. It was a large stone chamber with a domed ceiling supporting an iron chandelier that served as the only light in the room. There were about twenty death eaters milling around the chamber, but at Nott's announcement most of them were now focusing their attention on him.  
  
Malfoy then turned to two of the largest men and made a loud announcement.  
  
"Why don't we show Potter what we think of this little game of his" he said mockingly  
  
They had then begun to beat him for several minutes before Malfoy spoke again  
  
"Answer a question for me Potter, how was it that you survived yet again and reduced the dark lord to a mere shadow? And how exactly is it that you brought us to this place?"  
  
"I don't know" was the only answer he received  
  
"Well that may be Potter, but I will make a deal with you, get us out of this place and I will allow you to live, refuse and you shall die the most painfully slow death imaginable"  
  
His voice was cold and cruel but smooth as though he thought he would never be refused anything he wanted.  
  
"I would never let you loose on the world again, people have suffered enough at your masters hands and they deserve peace now. You will all remain here until you die" he told the blonde man in front of him, refusing to break eye contact with the death eater.  
  
Malfoy's face became flushed immediately at his words and his eyes lit on fire with hate.  
  
"As you wish Potter" he said stonily as he lifted his wand and put Harry under the pain of the cruciatus curse.  
  
He had refused to scream in his agony as he fell to the floor and curled into a fetal position trying to ignore the terrible pain for several minutes until the peace of unconsciousness over took him.  
  
When he awoke he had been in this dark room and he had been left undisturbed since that time, never seeing another person and he preferred this to the alternative.  
  
Just then, he heard the sound of approaching footsteps and he got to his feet, refusing to be seen crumpled on the floor by his enemies. A bright shaft of light permeated the dark room and a large figure approached him and grabbed him roughly by the arm, dragging him from the room without saying a word.  
  
He was dragged up a steep flight of stairs and into the chamber he had been in when he woke up. There were now nearly fifty black robed figures in the room and all of them were standing in a circle surrounding something he couldn't see yet.  
  
As they approached the group, Harry's insides turned to ice when he heard a familiar voice coming from the center of the room.  
  
"Harry Potter, did you honestly think you could destroy me that easily?"  
  
He woke suddenly at the sound of a large log in the fire cracking and falling. He was shaking with a chill because of the sweat that covered him, but there was something else, he felt the presence of someone in the room behind him and turned quickly to see his godfather sitting at the cluttered desk reading off of a piece of parchment and looked up upon hearing Harry turn.  
  
"Have a good nap?" he asked with concern as he looked at his best friends son.  
  
"Fine" he lied quickly and by Sirius' expression he didn't buy it, but he didn't press the issue either but he seemed pleased that Harry was talking to him.  
  
"I spoke to the headmaster this morning and he said you are welcome to stay here with me as long as you like" he continued before adding "and Ginny wanted to know if she could come by later tonight, after dinner. I told her I didn't think you would mind" he finished, looking curiously at Harry and seeing relief flicker across his face for a moment before he answered curtly.  
  
"No, I'm glad you did, I would like to see her" he answered before turning back to the fire and his private thoughts.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The sound of the door slamming shut rang through out the hall for several moments before the students broke into loud conversations once again.  
  
"Did you see his eyes? He just looked evil didn't he"  
  
"Yeah, and how did the door shut like that? He doesn't have a wand or anything"  
  
"I don't know, but he's not normal. He probably went insane from the cruciatus curse, there were five people holding it on him at the same time after all. No one could survive that and still be sane"  
  
The theories were being started and spreading all over the great hall and continued to do so until the students began to make their way to their first classes of term.  
  
Ginny had been in such a state of shock that all she could do was collapse into an empty chair at her house table and think miserably about how she had probably lost Harry for good now. Nobody spoke to her and she liked it that way, but regardless, she sent Hermione and Ron accusing glares as they passed by her and they only ignored her in return, both seeing the other girl as a traitor.  
  
Not knowing what else she could possibly do since she had no idea where Harry had gone, she got to her feet and followed her classmates to charms vowing to find her boyfriend after he had had an opportunity to calm down some.  
  
Sirius had the same idea as Ginny, knowing that when Harry wanted to be alone there were only a handful of places he would go and since most of those places now held students, he would probably be sitting in front of the fire in his private living room since he still didn't have enough strength to go flying around the quidditch pitch or run off to the lake or Hagrids. With that thought in mind, he went with Remus toward the defense classroom where he would help his best friend with the third year Hufflepuffs in their lesson about vampires.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N: sorry this took so long to get out, but I just couldn't get it to work how I wanted it to, but I tried my best! Thanks for reviewing those last couple of chapters and I'll post another one tonight or tomorrow if you're nice. Please review and let me know what you think of this one, even though it's pretty dull. 


	19. A Change of Heart

Chapter 19  
  
For the next three weeks, Harry remained in Sirius' rooms, occupying his time by reading nearly every book his godfather owned and reliving the same nightmares night after night with ever increasing clarity but he always woke up when he heard the cold voice of Voldemort.  
  
The only people who saw him were Ginny, Sirius, and Remus and he liked it that way. As far as he was concerned, he could stay within these three small rooms until the end of term and never set eyes on Ron and Hermione again or the rest of the student body for that fact.  
  
He knew he was acting childish toward his two best friends, but he didn't care. If they wanted his friendship back, they would seek it out because it was them who had jumped to the immediate conclusion that he had attacked Ron intentionally and they hadn't even tried to get an explanation from him  
  
Ginny had come to see him after she had finished classes every single day and had refused to leave his side until curfew and Sirius forced her to go late at night.  
  
The other students had been distant toward her since that morning, but they hadn't completely ignored her existence like they now did with Harry and would try to make small talk to her in classes, but she didn't care about how she was treated as long as she still had him. Ron had not said a word to her since he had asked one morning where she was going every night. Refusing to hide from the truth, she had told him she was with Harry and he had exploded telling her that he was dangerous and that he forbid her from being with Harry. She had flat out refused to listen to him and he had in turn told her that he would have nothing to do with her until she came to her senses and he had practically forced Hermione to go along with him.  
  
None of the students had asked her any questions about her boyfriend, instead acting as though he had never returned after the battle. The two of them had taken most of their meals in Sirius' chambers instead of going to the great hall to eat, but the two older men were forced to eat with the rest of the students and professors, so the couple was left alone more often than not. Harry helped Ginny with her homework every night and when they were finished, she would curl up in his arms and they would just sit together and talk quietly.  
  
They spent the hours talking about everything they could think of, but, much to Ginny's disappointment, Harry never spoke of his experiences again, to her or his godfather and he also refused to speak about any other students including Ron and Hermione and every time she brought the subject up his answer was the same.  
  
"Ginny, why should I defend myself to them? Is it not enough that I have fought for six years to protect them? I know what I did was wrong, but they didn't even give me a chance to apologize, they just all assumed that I did it on purpose and nothing I say will change their minds about that so just forget about it. Once term is over the manor will be finished and Sirius and I can leave this place" these words broke her heart because she knew deep down that he didn't mean any of them. He cared a great deal for his friends and she knew that he would still give his life to protect them if they were in danger regardless of how they had been treating him lately but he still refused to confront them and tell them that he was sorry.  
  
In fact, he still refused to hold a conversation with anybody but her and she saw how much that hurt Sirius and Remus, but try as she might to convince him otherwise, he still refused to open up to anyone else. He would answer their questions using the fewest number of words possible, not elaborating on his cryptic statements in the least.  
  
One night though, she and Harry were sitting together on the couch in front of the fire when Dumbledore came through the door.  
  
"Good evening Harry, Ginny. Are Sirius and Remus here by any chance, I need to speak to them" he asked kindly. He had known that Harry had been staying with Sirius, but he had never come down to check on the boy or visit him at all in the past three weeks, for which Harry was eternally grateful, the only people he wanted to see were here.  
  
"Yes sir, they're in Sirius' room doing lesson plans for next week since it's the full moon" said Ginny sweetly, smiling at the old wizard.  
  
"Thank you Ginny" he replied back as he knocked on the door to the right of them and when he was told to come in, he joined the two younger men and pulled the door closed behind himself.  
  
"Wonder what that's all about" Harry muttered to his girlfriend. She was still amazed that even though they had been back together for so long that he still never raised his voice above a faint whisper.  
  
"I have no idea, but I bet we find out pretty soon" she answered as she burrowed further into his arms. The past weeks had helped him to almost completely heal; the bruises that had once marred his face were now gone as were the cuts. His arm was no longer held tight to his chest, but it was still nearly useless when it came to doing anything difficult or strenuous, like lifting books, but it worked fine for what he was doing now, pulling Ginny closer to him and refusing to let her go.  
  
He was still forced to wear the annoying brace on his leg, but he walked normally with it and only a very faint limp could be noticed. His ribs were back to normal as well and he was able to breathe pain free for the first time in months.  
  
After about ten minutes, the door to Sirius' room reopened and the three men all exited. Dumbledore looked the same as he did when he entered, but Remus and Sirius looked downright furious about something.  
  
Ginny and Harry looked at them curiously for a moment before the headmaster spoke up.  
  
"Harry, I know you don't want to, but I must insist you return to your classes tomorrow. Since this is your final year here and you will be taking your NEWTS at the end of the term, we can't have you falling behind in your lessons. You will be excused for what you have missed so far this term as well as the end of last term, but from here on out, you will be required to participate just like all the other students. You will also be required to stay in your dormitory during the week, but you can return here on Friday and Saturday nights if you wish to do so. Sirius has your time table and I expect to see you at breakfast in the morning, but you may remain here tonight. I am sorry, but there is no other choice in the matter, the school board and the ministry have made it quite clear that they will not allow you to graduate if you don't start attending classes immediately, I am sorry" he said heavily, showing that he meant what he said, and that he really didn't want to be doing this. Bidding them all goodnight, he left the room looking every bit his great age.  
  
Once he had gone, Sirius turned to face a stunned Harry and angry Ginny.  
  
"Harry, I am so sorry, we tried to talk him out of this but the ministry has made it's opinion loud and clear, you have to do what he says" he had his face in his hands and was massaging his temples trying to alleviate the headache that was threatening.  
  
Harry only continued to stare at the now closed door in silence.  
  
"I'm sorry Harry, but we have no choice in the matter" said Remus, looking just as haggard as his best friend.  
  
"Why don't you go to sleep Harry, you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow" said Sirius finally when it became obvious that the boy was not going to say anything to either of them.  
  
"He's right Harry, I'll come by early tomorrow to get you, maybe if we're lucky we'll get to breakfast before everyone else does so you won't have to face them" she climbed off of his lap as he nodded his head in acknowledgement and she bent down to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before telling the two professors good night and heading back to Gryffindor tower lost in her own thoughts.  
  
When she gave the password to the fat lady and entered the common room, she was mildly surprised to see that there were still students sitting around before she realized that she was back nearly two hours earlier than she usually returned. She decided that instead of remaining in the crowded room that she would just go to bed as well, but as she reached the foot of the stairs leading to the girls' dorms, she heard a voice behind her call her name. Shocked that someone other than Harry was willing to talk to her when not in class, she spun around to see Hermione looking at her worriedly.  
  
"Ginny, is everything alright?" she asked quietly as she approached the younger girl hesitantly, aware of all the eyes on her back and Ron's furious glare.  
  
"What do you mean?" she was curious about Hermione's sudden concern, but she was still angry with her about her attitude toward Harry.  
  
"You have never been back this early when you've been in Sirius' rooms, is everything ok?" she sounded genuinely concerned.  
  
"No Hermione, everything is not alright, Dumbledore just told Harry that the ministry is insisting that he return to the tower and classes immediately, even though it is plainly clear that he is not welcome and doesn't want to go, but if he doesn't start going to class then he can't graduate. It's not enough that he's been through more already than anyone should have to go through, now he has to be surrounded by those he almost died to protect but that were willing to label him as a traitor at the drop of a hat without even pausing to hear him out. So you see everything is not fine!" she couldn't believe that after all this time, Harry's supposed best friend was just now asking about him, she was furious with them.  
  
She hadn't realized that that their entire conversation had been overheard by all the students in the common room until it was too late, but she didn't regret her words at all and it was about time that they knew just how she felt. She turned quickly and tried to hide her tears as she fled to the dormitory and threw herself onto her bed, leaving the room full of shocked students behind her.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hermione was stunned by Ginny's harsh words, but deep down she knew they were true and she decided right then to make Ron see that he was wrong. Striding back across the still silent common room, she grabbed the sleeve of his robes and led him out the portrait hole, letting it close behind her before she spoke up.  
  
"Ron, she's right" she said bluntly, anticipating his angry reaction and looking to the floor.  
  
"I know"  
  
She was shocked, this was defiantly not the reaction she had been expecting from her normally hot headed and stubborn boyfriend.  
  
"What?" it was the only word that she could say.  
  
"I know she's right, but I just didn't want to admit it" he said quietly before continuing in a normal voice as his courage grew "I was angry and scared that morning when he attacked me. I never thought he would ever hurt me or you but he almost did and that scared me to death. Now that I think about it though, he's been through a lot and I probably scared him to death by waking him up so suddenly" he smiled sheepishly at his statement and she returned his grin.  
  
"He was probably even more frightened than you and Dumbledore told us that he had gotten more powerful and was capable of doing magic without a wand, it was our own fault for underestimating just what he was capable of, and Sirius even warned us not to try to touch him but we ignored him didn't we?" she asked  
  
"Yeah we did, but I'm curious about how many times Sirius has been on the receiving end of that power, he seemed pretty sure of himself when he gave us that warning didn't he?" asked Ron, his eyes alight with curiosity and humor.  
  
"I don't know, but we should ask him later, it probably took a lot to convince him not to interfere, he's more stubborn than Harry most of the time" answered Hermione, the same humor shining in her eyes.  
  
"This is going to take a lot to fix isn't it?" he asked as he met her eyes and they both sobered up immediately  
  
"Yes it is, I just can't believe we were so dumb to actually think our best friend would ever intentionally hurt us when all he's ever done is try to protect us"  
  
"We had no idea what happened to him while he was gone and he just changed so much, not to mention that Dumbledore said he was unpredictable and that it wasn't safe for us to see him until term started, and now I see why"  
  
"True, but it's getting late, we should better get to sleep. Let's go to breakfast early and try to apologize to Harry and Ginny before everyone else shows up, ok?"  
  
"Sounds good to me, it's worth a shot anyways" said Ron as he wrapped his arms around Hermione and pulled her close to give her a long and solid kiss goodnight, happy that the tension that had been building up between them these past weeks had dissipated some but dreading the next mornings confrontation.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	20. Forgiveness Sought, Forgiveness Found

Chapter 20  
  
When Harry awoke the next morning, it took him a few minutes to remember why he felt so tense, but then the memories of the conversation the night before came back full force and he groaned and rolled over, wishing he could just stay in bed all day.  
  
He then remembered that Ginny would be there in only twenty minutes so he decided he couldn't avoid that day and got out of bed slowly. He proceeded to dress into what had become his standard uniform of black slacks, black boots, and a long sleeved black shirt that kept the hideous mark on his arm hidden from all others.  
  
He then approached the large mirror on the back of the closet door to evaluate his changed appearance. The bruises had faded completely from his face, as had the cuts, leaving behind two vicious looking scars, one about two inches long above his right eye and the other stretching from his cheek bone to his jaw on the left side of his face.  
  
Other than the scars though, his face was looking about a hundred percent better than it had on the night of the feast. It had gone from looking like the color of death to the healthy color of a normal seventeen year old during his time living with Sirius.  
  
Another great improvement could be seen by the way that his cloths no longer hung on his frame like a skeleton, but instead fit his frame like they were designed to, thanks partly to the fact that Ginny had practically forced him to eat everything in sight every time she had come by to see him at meal times, which was every night.  
  
She had also had an influence on the way he wore his hair as well, threatening to hex him if he so much as dared to cut it short again, insisting that it made him look mysterious. He chuckled slightly at the memory as he drug a brush through the hair that was no longer messy but long and straight, framing his face with its darkness. He secured it at the nape of his neck in a loose ponytail before putting on his black Hogwarts robes that had remained untouched since the morning he had come to this room.  
  
As he gave his reflection one last look, he realized with a start that he looked like a cruel combination of Sirius, Snape, and Moody, but thankfully without the canine like expressions, greasy hair, or magical eye. Deciding not to think such strange thoughts, he picked up his bag and set off out the door of his bedroom and into the common room where he was not surprised to see his godfather waiting for him in one of the armchairs before the fire.  
  
"Harry, be careful today" he said bluntly as way of greeting, and Harry nodded his head agreeing that he would as he heard a light knock on the exterior door, but just as he was about to open it, Sirius called from behind him  
  
"I'll see you later this morning Harry, and please remember to be careful" he said again, almost pleading this time, though Harry got the distinct opinion that Sirius was not telling him something important. Harry nodded again as he closed the door behind him and was met by the warm embrace he had come to cherish.  
  
"Morning Harry" Ginny said into his robes as she pulled him close  
  
"Morning Gin" he mumbled back to the girl before him before she pulled back and looked into his eyes  
  
"Are you ready for this?" she asked with concern evident in her voice  
  
"No, but I don't have a choice do I" he answered, unable to lie to her even if he had wanted to  
  
"Harry, you're one of the most intelligent students in this school, I'm sure you will catch up with everyone else in no time" she told him confidently, though even as she said those words she knew it wasn't the schoolwork he was worried about  
  
"It's not my classes that I'm not ready for Ginny" he told her as he broke her intent gaze and focused on the floor before him  
  
"Everything will work out Harry, you'll see" she told him as she grabbed his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.  
  
"I hope you're right" he told her as he returned the gesture and set off down the hallway which was thankfully empty of any other students  
  
When they were descending the grand staircase into the entry hall, she sent him a sideways glance and burst out laughing immediately.  
  
"What's so funny" he demanded of her as he turned to face her at eye level since she was on the step above him on the staircase.  
  
"You want people to stop thinking you're evil right" she managed to choke out between her fits of laughter  
  
"Yesss" he answered hesitantly, not sure where this was going and not appreciating his girlfriend laughing at his efforts.  
  
"Well, have you looked at yourself, the black outfit you're wearing combined with your hair make you look a lot like Snape from a distance, but without the grease" she explained as she continued to giggle hopelessly  
  
He gave her a lopsided smile before he answered  
  
"Not the best way to accomplish that is it?"  
  
This caused her to burst out into another fit of giggles as she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to herself before whispering into his ear  
  
"Probably not, but that doesn't matter because I love you even if you are dressing like the evil potions master"  
  
With that said, she closed the little distance still remaining between them as he put his arms around her waist and kissing her passionately for several moments before they broke away and finished their trip into the great hall, unaware of the two students that had been standing on the landing on the second floor watching them the entire time.  
  
"Well that was defiantly not what I wanted to see first thing in the morning, my little sister and best friend snogging" grumbled Ron as he looked at his girlfriend with wide eyes.  
  
"Grow up Ron, they have been together since the beginning of our fifth year" admonished Hermione, though she didn't take her eyes off the doors of the great hall for an instant  
  
"He acts completely normal around Ginny, like he was never gone" she muttered to herself distractedly before looking back to Ron who was still starring at the closed doors.  
  
"Come on Ron, we have some serious apologizing and explaining to do" she said as she grabbed his arm and drug him down the stairs and into the great hall.  
  
As soon as he heard the doors creak from behind him, Harry knew Ron and Hermione were there and a quick glance assured that it was indeed them before he turned back to his food.  
  
He and Ginny were the only students in the Great Hall so far and had seated themselves at the end furthest from the door and other than the fleeting glance Harry had sent them had completely ignored Ron and Hermione even after they had seated themselves directly across from the couple. After a few moments of awkward silence, Hermione found her voice and spoke hesitantly.  
  
"Harry, we came to apologize about what happened, we weren't thinking and we're sorry" she said as she starred across the table at the black haired boy who didn't even meet her gaze for an instant  
  
"We realize now that we were wrong, you would never hurt us and we were just to thick headed to see that" added Ron, also starring intently at his friend "could you ever forgive us?" he asked hopefully  
  
For several minutes, the four of them sat in silence, Ron and Hermione starring at Harry with regret written all over their faces as they thought he would no answer them, thus shattering their friendship for good. Ginny sat with her hand gripped tightly inside his as a sign of her silent support. When he still didn't speak, Ron tried again  
  
"Harry, please forgive us, or at least Hermione because I don't think she ever believed you did anything wrong, I just forced her to see things my way. I know we hurt you and if you have to be angry with someone, be angry with me, not her" he pleaded, his words causing both his girlfriend and sister to look at him in surprise and even a hint of pride at his words.  
  
Finally, Harry took his eyes from his breakfast and met that of his two best friends, brown and blue meeting green in silent hope before he said the word that had been haunting him for three weeks.  
  
"Why?"  
  
No one would have thought one small word could have had such an impact, but it did as they both looked at one another with bloodless faces as they silently fought over who would answer that question, but just as Ron was about to open his mouth, he was cut off.  
  
"You don't have to answer, just think about it. I know I probably shocked you, but you did wake me out of a sound sleep, I thought Sirius would have advised you against that" he said with his trademark half grin in place, showing them that he had forgiven them at least a little as soon as they walked through the door.  
  
"Yeah, well he tried to but this git ignored him, imagine that" said Hermione as she grinned at her best friend.  
  
"What did you do to him Harry? It would have taken a lot to convince him not to interfere with you" asked Ron as he too broke into a smile, but he was startled by what he saw when he looked back to his friend.  
  
While they had been talking, Harry had looked and acted just like the boy that had disappeared, but now he looked like a stranger to them. His eyes had completely lost their focus, and even though he was starring straight at his friends, he didn't really see them. His face had lost all the healthy color it had contained only moments before and every muscle in his body was rigid.  
  
Frightened, they both looked at Ginny hoping she could explain what was happening, but one look at her face revealed that she was just as lost as them, and just as scarred.  
  
'What do you think you are doing boy? They aren't worthy of your forgiveness.'  
  
'Friends are always worthy of forgiveness, regardless of what you may think'  
  
'Look what they did to you! How can you forgive them so easily when you know very well that they will do the same thing when they see your arm'  
  
'Because I know deep down that they meant what they said, and they will always be there for me and I for them and that kind of friendship and trust is not to be taken lightly, even by you'  
  
'I can already tell you that this blind compassion you have to protect them will be your downfall boy, and because of this, you will be defeated once and for all the instant you give into the temptation and act on your dark feelings'  
  
Suddenly, his eyes snapped back into focus as his breathing became rapid and he looked frantically into the three faces around him and then scanned the Great Hall as though looking for something or someone, but not seeing anything out of the ordinary, his breathing slowed and his face visibly relaxed.  
  
"Harry what happened to you? Are you alright?" asked Ginny  
  
It took him several moments to answer, and when he did, his voice was the same low volume it had been for the past weeks, but it now held an edge of apprehension.  
  
"Yeah Gin, I'm fine" he told her as he continued to look sporadically around the hall and into the dark corners as though he expected something to come up from behind at any instant and attack them.  
  
"What happened Harry?" she repeated her previous question, desperate for an answer  
  
"I don't know" he told her, and he truly looked confused by the entire ordeal, but before she could press the matter further, the doors to the hall opened and other students began to filter in and sit at their respective tables to eat.  
  
Harry was scared, he didn't know what the voice was that had spoken to him or where it had come from, all he did know was that he didn't like it or the words spoken. He had heard the voice before now, but always in his nightmares and he could never remember what it had said to him when he woke up. He shook these disturbing thoughts from his mind though and instead focused on eating his breakfast as quickly as possible.  
  
Nobody paid any attention to the small group of Gryffindors as they entered, including their fellow house mates until the professors began to enter. To the four students, their reaction could have almost be considered humorous.  
  
Professors Flitwick and Sprout were the first to enter and they were surveying the gathered students with wide but tired smiles on their faces, but when they passed by the head of Gryffindor table, they both stopped in their tracks as they looked curiously at Harry from the back, and feeling their eyes on him, he turned around suddenly, causing both of the professors to stumble backward in surprise, landing on top of two Hufflepuff students before gathering themselves and continuing to their seats at the staff table, still looking at him curiously every few minutes. Apparently the headmaster had forgotten to inform the staff that Harry would be attending classes and meals again.  
  
Many students had noticed their professors behavior and thus turned to see what had prompted them. Whispers could be heard almost immediately as the students realized what was going on and nearly every student present was glaring at his back.  
  
Noticing the reactions of their fellow students, Hermione and Ron stood and motioned for Harry and Ginny to so the same and they made their way to the exit of the great hall in silence with their heads held high in a defiant sort of way, Harry in the lead and his friends right on his heals.  
  
As soon as they reached the doors though, another figure came swiftly around the corner and ran right into Harry, who was so intent on his exit that he was knocked from his feet, landing with a loud thump on the floor and raising his arm in front of his body which he instantly lowered upon recognizing the sallow skinned potions master.  
  
"Watch where you're going." said the person he had run into before he looked at the student in front of him, his eyes going wide in his apparent shock before one more word left his lips, in the form of a question, but containing none of the contempt his others had "Potter?"  
  
"Who else would it be? And in case you didn't notice, it was you who ran into me professor" his words were not spoken above a mere whisper, but they echoed around the hall and in the ears of all present as though he had been yelling, but as it was, this present tone of his voice was far more effective than even the loudest of screams.  
  
The Great Hall was silent as Harry locked eyes with the potions master for a moment before pulling himself to his feet with the aid of Ron and exiting the hall without uttering another word to the man or looking over his shoulder at the still stunned students who could not believe that he had said those words to the professor and still hadn't even lost any points or earned a detention.  
  
Nobody had ever gotten away with something like what he had just done without being punished severely.  
  
Snape however seemed to ignore his words and continued on his way to the staff table and after several minutes, a gentle hum of conversation resumed around the hall. 


	21. Whispered Warnings

Chapter 21  
  
When they left the hall, the four friends were silent as they made their way to their first class even though they were about twenty minutes early.  
  
At the top of the marble staircase, Ginny took Harry's hand in her own and pulled him to a halt facing her.  
  
"I'll see you at lunch alright?" she whispered into his ear as she pulled him down for a quick kiss, ignoring Ron and Hermione who were standing only a few feet away and shifting their gazes elsewhere.  
  
"Yeah" he whispered back to her when they broke apart even though he didn't want her to leave his side for an instant. She had Charms first thing and the seventh years had Defense.  
  
"Everything will be fine Harry, just stick with Ron and Hermione" she told him in a reassuring voice as she dropped his hand and gave him a genuine smile before turning and heading toward her own classroom.  
  
"But you may want to watch your back for Snape, I think he'll be out for revenge once your words sink in" she called over her shoulder in a playful voice as she rounded the corner. Harry heard giggling from behind him and turned to see Ron and Hermione trying to suppress their laughter.  
  
He gave them a withering look before breaking into a small smile himself.  
  
"She has a point Harry, I think the only way you didn't get detention just now was because Snape was in shock at having a student tell the truth and not back down to him" said Hermione around giggles  
  
"It's going to be a long potions lesson today" was all Ron managed to get out as he groaned loudly.  
  
Harry just looked at his friends for a moment and was happy that things were slowly returning to as normal as was possible given the current circumstances and he hoped with all his heart that they would stay that way when they realized what he was trying so hard to hide.  
  
'You can't hide it from them forever boy, and when they find the truth, they will only turn on you again, you are better off alone'  
  
The voice startled him out of his thoughts about his friends and he franticly looked up and down the hallway to find it's source, but the three of them were the only ones present and Ron and Hermione were looking at him curiously.  
  
"What is it Harry?" asked Hermione as she looked at him in concern  
  
Shocked, he turned to her for an instant before looking back over his shoulder down the hall where the voices of other students could be heard as they made their way to their classes.  
  
"Nothing, let's get to Defense" he replied hastily and walked past his friends as they looked to one another silently agreeing that what he said was not the truth and vowing to ask him about it and the incident in the great hall before they followed behind him into Professor Lupin's classroom.  
  
The werewolf was sitting at his desk reading from a large leather bound book when the three students entered and upon seeing them, gave them a warm smile.  
  
"Good morning Professor Lupin" said Hermione sweetly as she joined the boys at the front desk.  
  
"Good morning Hermione, Ron. How are you doing Harry?" he asked as his eyes settled on the boys confused face in concern.  
  
"Fine Remus" he answered meeting the older mans eyes for a moment before the other students began to filter in.  
  
Nobody failed to notice the black haired student sitting next to Ron, yet nobody acknowledged him except for the two other students at his table and his professor, much to Remus' dissatisfaction.  
  
Once all of the seventh year Gryffindors had found their seats and Sirius had entered and perched on the edge of Remus' desk to observe, the professor stood to address them kindly.  
  
"Good morning students, now I presume you all have your essays I assigned last week ready to turn in?" his statement was met with much grumbling as the students dug in their bags for the aforementioned assignment and handed them to their professor who continued to smile at them.  
  
"I'm impressed, I think this is the first time that everybody not only remembered to do the assignment but to bring it with them to class as well" he said as he set the many rolls of parchment on his desk and turned back to face them.  
  
"Today, we will be practicing the patronus charm that is used to ward off dementors. Now, does anybody know the incantation for this charm?" he asked expectantly, looking around the room and seeing three hands in the air, and to his surprise, one of them was Harry's. Ignoring the hands of Ron and Hermione, he decided to press his luck and call on the boy.  
  
"Harry" he said gently and watched the dark haired Gryffindor get to his feet  
  
"The incantation is 'Expecto Patronum' sir" he said in a quiet voice as he met the mans eyes and gave a small smile since it was Remus who had taught the spell to the boy during his third year.  
  
"That is correct, thank you Harry" he said and the boy returned to his seat "Now, I will be calling on you one at a time to try and summon a patronus" he then proceeded to explain how one was to move their wand and what the properties of a proper patronus were before he began to call students up to the front of the class to attempt the spell.  
  
Most managed to get a fine silver mist to leave their wands, but nothing more, Hermione and Ron though each managed a distinct silver cloud, and though neither of them had any form they were the closest thing to a proper patronus seen.  
  
"Good job students, next time we will be working on this spell some more and hopefully we can get some shapes from it."  
  
"Excuse me, professor" came a voice from the back of the room  
  
"Yes Parvati? Is something wrong?"  
  
"Well, I thought you said we were all going to have to attempt this spell in front of the class, and Harry hasn't done it yet, I don't think that's very fair to the rest of us" she said with smugness, expecting the boy to make a fool of himself like the rest of them.  
  
Remus looked quickly at Harry before turning back to the other students to try and explain why he hadn't called on Harry when the boy himself stood and spoke to the professor.  
  
"It's ok Remus, I don't mind" he said before he caught himself and added "Sorry, professor Lupin" at the end, trying to get out of the habit of referring to the man so informally.  
  
"Very well, please come on up Harry" he said as he motioned for the student to take his place in front of his housemates who were looking coldly at him for a moment before Parvati spoke up again.  
  
"Harry, you seem to have forgotten your wand" she said as she giggled along with Lavender "you can't do this without it"  
  
"Please settle down students, Harry, go ahead" he said as his gaze met that of Sirius who was watching expectantly.  
  
Harry just nodded as he held his arm out in front of himself without saying a word, and almost instantly a brilliant silver stag erupted from his palm and stood expectantly surveying the students before turning to Harry and fading away since it had not found any dementors to challenge.  
  
Harry lowered his arm and turned to look at Remus and Sirius who both looked amazed but slightly happy at his demonstration before Remus spoke up.  
  
"Thank you Harry, you may take your seat" he said and Harry looked back to the other students as he approached his seat next to Ron.  
  
All of them had their mouths hanging open in shock and just continued to stare at him even long after he had sat down. Even Ron and Hermione looked completely dumbstruck.  
  
"Ok, for next time, I want you all to read the section of your book relating to Dementors and write a foot of parchment about them and how the patronus charm affects them, dismissed" said Remus  
  
Finally, everyone began to gather their belongings and set out towards potions. As they were walking down the hall, Hermione looked expectantly at Harry before speaking.  
  
"Harry, that was amazing!" she exclaimed  
  
"Yeah, did you see the look on Parvati's face when she saw your patronus? It was classic!" added Ron as he laughed heartily  
  
Harry could only smile at his friends' excitement as they entered the dank dungeon potions classes were held in.  
  
They took their seats at a long bench in the back of the classroom and waited patiently for their professor to show up, Harry occasionally receiving strange looks from his housemates and Slytherin students alike.  
  
Within a few minutes, the potions master entered the room and without speaking began to write the ingredients for that days potion on the board, all the students copying them down hastily. When he was finished, he turned to face the class.  
  
"Today we will be brewing the dreamless sleep potion for use in the infirmary. Please remember that if you mess this potion up, you are putting every person in this castle at risk from your incompetence. I doubt many of you will be able to brew this correctly, but please try not to screw up too badly" he said as he began to pace the room and look over every students shoulder, scolding and taking points off of the Gryffindor students and giving points freely to his own house.  
  
When he approached Harry's cauldron though, he didn't comment on the potion but instead gave the boy a stern warning that only Ron and Hermione overheard.  
  
"Potter, your powers may have increased, but watch your back, there are still supporters of the dark lord that have not been found out and they will be after you. Don't underestimate anyone you don't know" he muttered softly, his voice sounding genuinely concerned as he looked intently into the boys eyes before he raised his voice so the rest of the students could hear his words "And if you ever speak to me the way you did this morning, you will be serving detention in the forest for the rest of your time here" he said with his usual bitterness returning to his voice.  
  
Harry was stunned, the potions masters words seemed to turn his insides to ice. If anybody knew about dark activities, it would be Snape and Harry took his warnings to heart.  
  
After the lesson was over, the trio made their way to the great hall for lunch where Ginny was waiting with a large smile on her face. Upon seeing their expressions though, her own face sunk and she asked them what was wrong. Ron explained Snape's words to her and then they all turned to look at Harry expectantly before he shook his head telling them he preferred to talk about something else. 


	22. The Gauntlet is Thrown

Chapter 22  
  
The rest of their classes passed by in a haze and before they knew it, it was the first week of December. Harry had caught up in all of his classes and had succeeded in shocking every professor at one point or another with his skills at wandless magic, performing the most difficult charms and transfigurations with ease, surpassing even Hermione's abilities with no difficulty. He was even slowly regaining the trust of his housemates and could regularly be seen helping the younger and older students alike with their charms and transfiguration homework, but the members of the other houses still treated him as though he were invisible and refused to acknowledge him, but at least he still had Ron, Hermione, and Ginny beside him and he was beginning to act more like his old self.  
  
As the fall slowly turned into winter, the black haired Gryffindor could be seen laughing with his friends and godfather as they sat out on the lawns, doing homework or having a picnic next to the lake, Remus sometimes joining their lighthearted gatherings, but deep down, they all knew that the good times would eventually end.  
  
Quidditch season had been put on hold until after the holidays since the pitch and stands had to be repaired after the battle at the end of last term and Harry was anxious for practices to begin again.  
  
Harry was thrilled to be back in the company of the only family he had ever known, and if it weren't for the nightmares that plagued his dreams every night, he could have put the past behind him, especially since the strange voice had not been heard since his first day back in class. He still had not told Ginny or anybody else about what else happened during the time he was missing, much to the disappointment of his friends and godfather, but they had all agreed not to press the issue, he would tell them when he was ready. Little did they know though, his nightmares always ended in at the same instant, the moment he heard Voldemort's voice.  
  
Sure, he remembered bits and pieces about what had happened, but it was so fragmented and distorted that he couldn't have told anybody even if he had wanted to, though he didn't want to tell them, he was content with life as it was and would not willingly do anything to cloud his own private Eden, even going so far as to block out Snape's warning about dark wizards.  
  
A week before the Christmas break though, his temporary happiness was shattered as Snape's warning came back full force. The Gryffindor seventh years were sitting in the Defense classroom about to begin their lesson when their professor made a startling announcement.  
  
"I know I told you that we would be reviewing some of the curses you have learned in the past years today, but there has been a slight change in plans. The ministry has requested that all the seventh year students put on a demonstration for the younger years this morning" his announcement was met by an excited chatter that only dissipated when he raised his arms for silence.  
  
"After the events of last year, all of you have had practical experience in dueling and are quite good at it, but the younger students, particularly the first and second years have had no such experience and have no true idea about just what magic can be used to accomplish, and it is your job to show them" he said all of this with a tight lipped expression as though he didn't agree with the demonstration at all, and a moment later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione figured out why.  
  
"You will be randomly partnered with another member of your house and duel until one of you is incapacitated by either spell or by being unarmed by your opponent. All students must participate in this as it is a part of your practical exam for your NEWTS, in other words, you have to participate in order to graduate, no exceptions. Another thing these duels will accomplish is that several Aurors are present and will choose your partners and evaluate your performance, looking for some new recruits"  
  
With that said, his eyes turned to look into those of Harry, fearing what he would find there. His face had lost all of its color and his eyes were wide and horrified, knowing what would happen. He was no longer terrified by the sight of a wand, as long as it was not directed at himself, and Remus could only guess what the consequences would be for the poor student who was partnered with Harry.  
  
Ron and Hermione looked at their friend in apprehension as well before turning their gazes back to the professor as if silently begging him not to make Harry do this.  
  
"We will be meeting the other students in the Great Hall, so if you would please proceed there immediately" he told the rest of the class before approaching the front desk.  
  
"Harry, I'm sorry, but we can't do anything about this, but Merlin knows Sirius and I tried our damndest last night when Dumbledore told us" he was rubbing the bridge of his nose as he said these words and the three students knew that they had no choice.  
  
"Is it the new minister commanding this?" asked Hermione with a tone of irritation in her voice  
  
"No, Fletcher is a good man, but he has little say in the matter. It's the Aurors who want this done, it seems that they want to evaluate the graduating classes abilities, to see if anyone would be an asset to the department. Apparently, the entire department was infiltrated with death eaters who were found after those who were left behind were arrested, so they are in desperate need of a few good witches and wizards to replace the traitors" he explained to the three students  
  
"I'm sorry Harry" he said again as he looked back to the black haired boy "We had better get going, Sirius is waiting for us in the Hall"  
  
The four of them stood and walked in silence down the corridors and stairs leading to the Great Hall, passing many Aurors along the way, all of whom gave Harry slightly surprised looks as he walked by and whispering to their colleagues.  
  
"Isn't that Potter?"  
  
"Yeah, wonder what he's doing?"  
  
"I don't know, but I'm surprised he's here. From what I've heard, he is on the verge of going completely insane. It's crazy that he's allowed to attend classes at all, he should probably be locked up in St. Mungos psychiatric ward"  
  
They all blocked the comments and questions out, and followed the rest of the students into the Hall.  
  
The tables and chairs from breakfast had disappeared and there was a large stage set up in the middle, around which the younger students were gathering eagerly. The seventh years were all congregating around their respective heads of house along the far wall of the room, and as the trio approached McGonagall, she looked up in surprise and just starred at them in annoyance before resuming her speech, apparently not to happy with their tardiness.  
  
"As I was saying, the visiting Aurors will partner you up with one of your housemates and you will duel until one of you is unarmed or otherwise prevented from continuing. The only rules are of course, no unforgivable curses may be used and no physical contact, we shall begin in a few minutes, Hufflepuff will be first, then Ravenclaw, followed by Slytherin and we will be last. Remember, the important thing about this is to demonstrate higher levels of magic for the younger students, so have fun" she gave her house a smile before making her way over to Professor Lupin and dragging him away from the listening students, once she was out of earshot, she began speaking in curt whispers.  
  
"Why is Harry here Remus?"  
  
"The Aurors demanded all students participate, and they refuse to let him off, saying he won't graduate if he doesn't"  
  
"Do they realize how hard this will be for him?" she sounded almost worried  
  
"Again, if he doesn't participate, he won't graduate"  
  
"Will he be alright?"  
  
"I don't know, I hope so"  
  
"What about the student he is forced to duel with, will they be alright?"  
  
"Harry would never hurt anybody intentionally Minerva, you know that" he gently reprimanded her  
  
"I agree with you, but do you really think Harry will be able to survive another person pointing a wand at him and casting spells directly at him?"  
  
"I hope so" said the werewolf wearily  
  
Just then, the doors behind the stage opened and the headmaster walked out followed closely by about twenty men and women in the traditional Aurors robes of dark blue.  
  
All the students and professors turned their attention to the old wizard as Lupin and McGonagall made their way back to the Gryffindor students.  
  
"Thank you for all coming to watch and participate this morning, and lets not put the competition off any longer. It's my pleasure to introduce the Ministry of Magic's head Auror, Mr. Edward Shaw."  
  
There was a scattered applause at the introduction as the man to Dumbledore's right stepped forward and began to partner up the Hufflepuff students.  
  
He was a tall athletic looking man with close cropped brown hair and dark eyes and as he paired people up, it was shown that he had a strange ability to match people with similar skill levels together to make it as fair of a fight as possible. But something about the man made Harry think there was more to him than met the eye, as though he were trying to hide something from everyone else present.  
  
Harry was in a state of utter dread as Shaw walked among the seventh year Hufflepuffs and matched them up with their partners. Once he was finished, he made his way back to the side of the headmaster and they along with the other Aurors took their places in a long row of chairs lining one side of the stage.  
  
He was completely oblivious to the battles taking place before him and the scattered oh's and ah's from the younger students. He didn't notice who won each match, nor the fact that the Slytherin students were already being paired up and dueling against each other, or that their duels were much more violent than the duels of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. In fact, he wasn't pulled from his thoughts until he saw a man with short brown hair and a roll of parchment approach the Gryffindor students.  
  
He was walking among them slowly and starring at them each in turn as though evaluating them before he began to speak crisply.  
  
"You, and you will be first" he said as he pointed to Neville and Seamus who moved to stand next to each other. "What are your names?" he asked and when answered, he scribbled them on the parchment he was holding.  
  
He then moved to partner Hermione with Dean and Parvati with Lavender and as he wrote down their names, he approached Ron and Harry.  
  
"You two will be last, what are your names?"  
  
"Ronald Weasley" said Ron nervously as he looked at the still pale best friend at his side.  
  
"Harry Potter" he whispered, and upon his words, the cool and composed Auror did a double take as he directed his eyes to Harry's forehead as though not believing he was who he claimed to be and when he saw the scar, a twisted smirk crossed his face as he wrote down their names.  
  
"Very well" was all he managed to mumble before turning and walking hastily back to his seat.  
  
Harry didn't pay attention to his housemates duels until he saw Hermione nervously take the stage with Dean at her side.  
  
The pair bowed to one another before assuming the proper stance facing one another with their faces focused.  
  
"Expelliramus!" shouted Dean at the same moment Hermione shouted "Stupify!"  
  
Both jumped out of the way of the others curse easily before beginning to yell their second curses, each one dodging the other as well.  
  
Their fight lasted the longest of any before it, nearly five minutes before Hermione cast the full body bind on her opponent, declaring her the winner.  
  
Smiling, she cast the counter curse and helped the sheepish looking Dean to his feet and the pair descended the stairs as Lavender and Parvati took the stage.  
  
All too soon, it was time for Harry and Ron to ascend the thin staircase and take their places on the stage, the entire hall falling silent around them. Ron drew his wand and they were about to bow to one another when Shaw cleared his throat loudly and addressed Harry from his place beside the stage.  
  
"Mr. Potter, are you not aware that participation is a requirement for you to graduate?" Harry nodded his head mutely  
  
"You can't just stand there and not fight and expect to be given credit, you must duel and defend yourself" Harry silently nodded his head again, angering the Auror  
  
"Then I would recommend that you draw your wand Mr. Potter" he said thickly  
  
To this sentence, Harry replied with a simple four words "I don't need it" his expression never changing from the cool indifference that covered it  
  
The Auror was furious "And why not Potter? Are you too high and mighty to duel with your peers?"  
  
The congregated teachers and students didn't know what to do but sit and watch in fascination.  
  
"I am planning on dueling with Ron" Harry said simply as though it were the most obvious sight in the world "If you would please allow us to get started" he added as an after thought  
  
"Without a wand? Do you honestly think it will be a fair fight?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
At this, the Auror stood and joined the two Gryffindors on the stage, facing Harry and turning his back on Ron.  
  
"How, he has a wand and you don't and everybody knows that magic can't be controlled without a wand and only one wandless spell exhausts the caster. There is no way one with a wand can be defeated by one without a wand!" he yelled in frustration, completely oblivious to the looks he was receiving from the students and professors, all who had seen Harry perform wandless magic on more than one occasion and knew just what he was capable of.  
  
Harry's next words shocked all present and caused many jaws to drop, no one believing that he would dare talk to the most powerful Auror in the ministry in such a manner.  
  
"How can you be so certain?"  
  
Shaw became livid "BECAUSE IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" he roared, his scream echoing around the great hall like the roar of a dragon  
  
Harry just smiled slightly at the angry man before continuing, his soft words having more of an impact than the yells before "Why don't you prove your point sir?"  
  
"What are you on about Potter?"  
  
"You heard me. Prove it, right here in front of everybody. Prove that a wizard without a wand can't defeat a wizard with a wand" he stated with his face still not showing any emotion whatsoever, much to the amusement of the students and the irritation of Shaw.  
  
"Very well Potter" he growled "but when you are beaten by your housemate, we shall see who is right" he turned to go back to his seat, but Harry's words stopped him abruptly  
  
"No, I didn't say to have Ron prove your point for you, prove it for yourself if you are certain your abilities can beat my own"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N: so, what do you think? I know I rushed through the first half of the year, but the interesting stuff is just now starting so be prepared! I have the next chapter written already, so I'll try to post it tomorrow morning (I still have to proofread it). Someone asked if I have a mailing list for when I update, but sorry to say, I don't since my e-mail only works half the time (blame it on the university, they like to make us mad on a regular basis) but I try to update every day or every other day when I can. This past week though was midterms so that's why I didn't get much posted. Well, thanks again for all of your nice reviews for the last couple chapters! And please review this one if you would be so kind, let me know what you think about it! The next chapter I think you guys will like, Harry shows off all of his powers, and the voice comes back, but who is it? Only I know! Enjoy! 


	23. The Gauntlet is Caught

Chapter 23  
  
A gasp rang around the hall as all present realized just what Harry was proposing to the head Auror.  
  
Shaw spun around and faced the younger boy with a smirk on his tanned face.  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this Potter? Do you really think you can beat the head Auror of the Ministry of Magic?" he asked, looking quite arrogant and sure of himself.  
  
"Yes" was the only answer he received as he was pinned with the piercing eyes of the boy.  
  
"Very well Potter, we will do this your way, but all here are witnesses to the fact I tried to discourage you from taking on a full fledged Auror. Weasley, you may return to your classmates, you will receive full marks" he said curtly, not taking his dark brown eyes from the insolent boy before him.  
  
No one could believe what was going on before them, Harry Potter was willingly going to duel with the head Auror, and without a wand none the less. Dumbledore though, had a bright twinkle in his eyes that had been absent for far too long.  
  
The other professors, all but Sirius and Remus, were anxious about what was going to happen, knowing full well that there was no way that Harry could beat Shaw. Of course they knew he was capable of wandless magic, but the few occasions he had done it with much power to their knowledge was when he had been angry or startled. Never had he done it knowingly and with full control in a situation like this. Sure, he could perform charms and such easily enough, but to duel and defend oneself at the same time would surely exhaust the boy.  
  
Shaw slowly backed away from Harry until he was standing at the opposite end of the stage with a wide smile on his face.  
  
"Lets get this started, shall we Potter?" he asked tauntingly  
  
"If you insist" was the reply as Harry gave the Auror an almost mocking smirk  
  
They both inclined their heads to their opponent, one brown, the other black, but neither took their eyes from the other.  
  
Shaw raised his wand at the boy, who in turn just stood unblinking and unmoving.  
  
"I warned you boy! Stupefy!" he roared, but to his amazement, the boy remained stock still until the last possible moment when he raised his arm and carelessly flicked his wrist, and the curse shot up and hit the enchanted ceiling with a loud bang.  
  
Shaw looked stunned, but only for a moment before he shot a freezing curse at the boy, this one though was sent toward the left hand wall, where several students had to duck to avoid it.  
  
The Auror was outraged that the boy was able to deflect his curses so easily, without even moving more than his hand and wearing an almost bored expression on his young face.  
  
He continued to shoot curses at the boy, in rapid succession, and was getting more and more frustrated as the minutes dragged by with himself still the only one fighting.  
  
"I thought you said you were going to defeat me Potter!" he yelled as another of his curses was successfully deflected into the ceiling. He was met by a small smile as an answer.  
  
"Well, Potter, if I'm not enough of a match for you, let's see just how much you've got" he growled while still keeping his eyes locked with the emerald ones  
  
"Your call sir" was the quiet reply  
  
"Wilkins, get up here!" he bellowed, and a shorter man with sandy blonde hair joined his superior on the stage.  
  
"Potter, this is my second in command, Adrian Wilkins, let's see if you can take on two at a time shall we" the menacing grin on his face grew wider as Harry nodded in acknowledgement.  
  
Wilkins moved to another side of the stage until the three duelers formed a triangle facing each other. All three bowed their heads again before the curses began to fly at Harry, who was again making little effort and still deflecting everything that came his way with grim determination.  
  
"I knew he was good, but not this good" Ron muttered to Hermione, who could only nod in agreement "I'm glad it's not me up there, I wouldn't have stood a chance" he added as an afterthought.  
  
They continued watching their best friend duel against the two most powerful Aurors in the entire ministry in awe, and were joined a couple of minutes later by Ginny who was grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"Well, I'd say he proved his point, wouldn't you?" she asked the open mouthed couple  
  
"Uh, I guess you could say that." Ron muttered as answer, never taking his eyes from the stage. The three opponents had been at it for a full ten minutes though, when Harry decided to begin firing his own curses at the two Aurors.  
  
While his right hand was continuing to deflect the curses fired from his two opponents, he raised his left arm and bright flashes of blue light made their way to the pair of Aurors facing him without Harry having to say a word.  
  
Both men rolled on the marble floor to dodge the unknown curses and within an instant were on their feet again and firing their own spells back at the boy. After about ten minutes of the constant pattern of dodging and firing curses, all present could tell that the Aurors were beginning to suffer from the strain, their reflexes slowing and their spells losing strength. This was when things took a definite turn for the worse for their young opponent though.  
  
He had just blocked the stunning spell yet again from Wilkins when another one came from his left side, sent by one of the observing Aurors seated next to the stage. Harry turned quickly as the flash of blue light caught his eye and he deflected it with ease, and he was just turning back to face Shaw when a blood red curse no one had heard spoken hit him hard and square in the chest.  
  
Though the incantation had not been heard by those in the hall, the instant it struck Harry, everyone knew what it had to be. He fell hard to his knees and rolled onto his side, curling his body as tight as was possible, his face and fists drawn tight as he convulsed on the ground in agony.  
  
The observers' eyes were wide and everyone began to look frantically around the hall for the caster, but he was to be found on the stage, his wand held level and pointing directly at the boy, a look of glee on his face as he strode purposely forward.  
  
"Well Potter, it looks as though even you can't withstand the pain Crucio" he said menacingly, coming to a halt about ten feet in front of the boy still convulsing on the stage.  
  
Without lifting his wand, he called over his shoulder to the stunned professors and Aurors and the frightened students.  
  
"You would do well not to interfere, because if any of you so much as tries to stop me, I will kill him" the intensity of his words convinced all present that he meant what he said, so all stood their ground, Ginny, Ron and Hermione only because their house mates were holding them back with all their effort though.  
  
Shaw then turned all his attention back to Harry.  
  
"Potter, answer one question for me" he said in a conversational tone  
  
"Why don't you scream?" he asked as he finally broke the curse, looking curiously at the boy as he weakly pulled himself back to his feet and faced the man eye to eye.  
  
"Well, answer me boy!" he demanded  
  
"Why should I scream? To give you and those like you pleasure? Never" he said, his whispered words hoarse and rasping.  
  
His defiance only furthered to anger Shaw who growled before bellowing "Crucio" at the top of his lungs, aiming for the boy again.  
  
This time around though, Harry was prepared and he raised his arm, but this time he didn't divert the curse to the ceiling or far walls, instead, it was repelled off his out stretched hand and sent hurtling right back at Shaw, who, in his shock dove to the side and narrowly missed being struck, but as he fell, Harry raised his other arm and the mans wand came sailing into his right hand.  
  
He quickly got back to his feet and glared at Harry.  
  
"I now understand why my master tried to kill you when you were an infant Potter, but you can't keep defying your destiny, you will die at the hands of a dark wizard, and I intend for you to die at my hands today and even if you defeat me, another will succeed where I have failed. You can't hide from fate forever, all it takes is one curse and you will be destroyed" while he was giving his speech, he approached Harry until he was mere inches from the boy, who still refused to look away. "Your time is coming Potter, sooner than you may think" was his final growled threat before jumping on the boy, sending them both to the ground in a heap of black and blue robes.  
  
Harry couldn't believe that he had allowed his concentration to slip onto Wilkins when he knew it was Shaw that posed the threat. When he had first set eyes on the man, his instincts told him that he was a follower of Voldemort, and he had decided immediately not to let him leave the castle as a free man. He had focused all his energies during the previous duels planning out how exactly he could convince the man to fight him, and thankfully he had been successful.  
  
If there was one thing his imprisonment had taught him, it was the power to manipulate others through ones words, all in all, that was a good lesson to have learned.  
  
When he felt the larger man hit him, he was unable to prevent the momentum from driving him into the ground with the other man straddling his frame and pinning him to the floor of the stage completely immobile.  
  
He was unable to lift either of his arms to banish the man to allow him to get to his feet and he was becoming frustrated. He may be able to do magic without a wand, but he needed his arms to channel his power, and with both pinned at his sides, that was impossible and he was defenseless for what would happen next. He had taken Shaw's wand, but he hadn't counted on him having more than just the slender piece of wood as a weapon until he caught a glimpse of silver in the mans hand.  
  
His eyes were wide and he was unable to suppress a scream as he felt the weapon penetrate his side between his two lowest ribs. The man above him was giving him a maniacal smirk as he looked into the boys pain filled eyes.  
  
"Well, what an irony, the great Harry Potter defeated by muggle means, who would have though it could be this easy?" he whispered into his opponents ear, so quiet that no one else could hear him, and judging by the confused whispering, no one else had seen the blade besides himself and were wondering what would cause him to cry out in such pain.  
  
The older man made the next mistake though by rising to his feet, already sure of his victory and turning his back to Harry to speak to the congregation of students, professors, and Aurors.  
  
Ignoring what he was saying, Harry forced the black areas that were beginning to dim his vision away and raised a shaky hand at the mans back, sending him crashing to the ground stunned. Harry then got to his feet and stood over the man as he revived him, the hilt of the blade concealed within the folds of his black robes.  
  
'Kill him'  
  
The voice was back and stronger and more tempting than ever before and slowly, Harry raised his right hand and held it over the prone mans body. 


	24. One Learns the Truth

Chapter 24  
  
The voice in his ears was stronger than ever now, and he wanted to do as it commanded, to kill the man who had caused him so much pain, but something held him back.  
  
Kill him boy, what are you waiting for, he would have done the same to you  
  
The voice was now screaming in his ears and he felt the blood pounding in his head as he resisted, felt pain coursing through his veins as though his own body were attacking him. He was acutely aware of everything around him, from the tangible silence of every other occupant of the room to the feeling of the warm blood seeping through his robes and running down his side.  
  
Just do it boy! Kill this miserable being! Get your revenge for the pain he inflicted on you!  
  
"No" he said aloud, barley above a whisper as he continued to look at the man trembling in fear at his feet, his arm still outstretched.  
  
'Why do you deny yourself the satisfaction? Think about the feeling you will get when you exact your revenge!  
  
"No" he said, more forcefully this time  
  
'You should know better than to defy me by now boy, kill this miserable excuse for a man now!'  
  
"No, I refuse to kill him!" he yelled in defiance, which caused several people in the room to gasp in alarm.  
  
'You will regret this boy!'  
  
Suddenly, the room around him began to spin violently as he felt pain worse than the Cruciatus curse wash thorough his body from the inside, successfully blocking out his surroundings and the immense pain in his side as he fell to his knees on the hard floor.  
  
"NO! I WILL NEVER OBEY YOU!" he screamed as he collapsed in pain, blackness almost overtaking him as he fell to the floor beside his enemy, his hands clasped to his side in an attempt to dull the pain.  
  
After a few moments of stunned silence, all hell broke loose in the Great Hall. Several Aurors cast stunning spells on their superior before they bound him tightly and set off by portkey to the ministry.  
  
Ginny, Ron, and Hermione, after they had finally been released by their housemates, ran to Harry's side along with the professors, who were all still in a state of shock.  
  
During the end of the duel, after Shaw had cast Crucio on Harry, all of the professors had been slowly making their way out of the Aurors line of vision so they could have attacked him from behind, but their going had been slow as they tried to move as cautiously as possible through the gathered students since their original seats had been directly behind Harry, thus in front of Shaw.  
  
Ginny knelt by Harry's head and gently rolled him onto his back, pulling his head into her lap and running her small hands down the side of his bloodless face while tears ran down her own cheeks.  
  
Upon her gentle touch, Harry forced his eyes open and reached a shaky hand for hers, grasping it tightly for a moment before his body became limp and his hand fell to the ground beside him.  
  
"Harry, please wake up" she pleaded quietly as Dumbledore rested a hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked at him with worry written on her features. "What happened to him sir?" she asked as she noticed Remus and Sirius come running from behind the headmaster.  
  
"I don't know Ginny, but we need to get his to the hospital wing immediately" he answered, looking as old and haggard as she had ever seen him. She nodded mutely as he conjured a stretcher and levitated the boy onto it gently, but when he was off of her lap, she looked to her hands in helplessness and all around her heard a sharp intake of breath from the red haired girl.  
  
"Ginny, what is it?" asked Ron frantically as he kneeled beside his younger sister.  
  
"Blood" she whispered hoarsely, still starring at her hand in shock.  
  
Terrified, Ron took her hand in his and saw that her palm was stained scarlet with the thick fluid. Those who had been looking over his shoulder saw it too and immediately jumped into action.  
  
"Harry!" said Sirius urgently as he caught sight of the liquid on Ginny's hand. He hastily approached the form of his godson on the stretcher and cautiously pulled back the side of his robes to reveal the black and silver hilt of a blade that was covered in the boys' blood.  
  
With this new revelation, the headmaster rushed from the hall with Sirius, Remus, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione close on his heals as they made their way silently to the infirmary.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Madame Pomfrey was just finishing with the last of the mild injuries that students had received during the dueling demonstrations that morning when the doors banged opened to show the headmaster levitating a stretcher behind him.  
  
"Albus what happened!" she exclaimed at seeing the frantic expression on his face  
  
As she looked around at the gathered students and professors though, she knew who she would find on the stretcher, Harry Potter.  
  
"Put him here" she instructed crisply "and please tell me what happened to him" she demanded of the silent group. It was Remus who spoke up though  
  
"He dueled with the head Auror and his second in command. He was beating them too, then Shaw cast the cruciatus curse on him. Turns out he was a dark wizard, Harry got his wand, but then Shaw pinned him to the ground and stabbed him"  
  
"What!" she exclaimed as she removed the blood soaked robes gently, and then her eyes came to rest on the weapons hilt "oh my God" she muttered before ordering everyone to give her some room to work "Black, please find Severus and tell him what has happened, I will need his assistance"  
  
"No need Poppy, I'm here" came a voice from the doorway. They all turned to see the potions master standing there holding several bottles of potions they didn't recognize and quite out of breath, giving them the impression that he had sprinted to the dungeon and back again  
  
"Good, let's get started" she said as she pulled her wand and aimed it at the boy on the bed before her, muttering a spell. At once, the weapon began to glow a faint blue color before it slid out of the place where it was lodged, showing it to be nearly six inches long and two inches wide. As soon as it was free, Snape grabbed it and set to work with his various potions.  
  
It was only then that they could clearly see the weapon that had caused so much damage. The blade was sleek and sharp, and if it hadn't been for the blood, it would have been the brightest silver in color. The hilt was the darkest black of the starless sky, and curled around it was a silver snake with red eyes that seemed to be watching them everywhere they went.  
  
Madame Pomfrey busied herself with trying to see just how much damage was done by the weapon. She took up her wand again and began to use it to unbutton the saturated black shirt when Remus spoke to the three students.  
  
"Ginny, Ron, Hermione, come here for a moment please" he asked them quietly. They grudgingly obeyed their professor and followed him into the office of the infirmary.  
  
"What is it Professor, I want to be with Harry" said Ginny immediately, looking over her shoulder toward the open door.  
  
"Perhaps it would be best if you three waited in the common room until Madame Pomfrey is finished" he said quietly  
  
"No! We want to be with him" said Hermione defiantly  
  
"I know, but it's probably best for you to wait until she is finished"  
  
"Why don't you want us to stay Remus?" asked Ginny suspiciously  
  
"It's not that I don't think you should stay, but I don't think Harry would want you to see him like this" he said instantly  
  
"What do you mean, we've seen him injured before" said Ron just as suspiciously as his sister, knowing the defense professor was holding something back.  
  
"Listen to me, all of you, Harry went through a great deal while he was missing and suffered some terrible wounds"  
  
"We know that Remus" interrupted Ron "I've already seen his wounds and right now he needs us more than ever and I for one am not going to sit in an office and talk when my best friend is hurt. I've done that once already and I refuse to do that again!" he snapped, and before Remus could say another word, Ron had thrown the door open and stalked back to the side of the bed, showing off the famous Weasley temper with a flourish, Hermione on his heels.  
  
Ginny stood to leave as well, but Remus was quick enough to grab her wrist in his firm grip.  
  
"Professor Lupin, please let me go, I agree with Ron and want to be with Harry as well" she said coldly as she twisted her arm and broke his grip as she too approached the door, but his words stopped her abruptly.  
  
"Ginny, please hear me out, it is important to Harry that you find out this way rather than another, he would want you to be prepared for what you are going to see when you go back out there and I promise you won't like it one bit" he said, almost in a whisper, but loud enough to catch her attention fully and cause her to close the door and place herself directly in front of her professor.  
  
"Alright Remus, tell me what this is all about, but be quick because I won't be this patient for long" she threatened him and he wondered for a moment after looking into her hard eyes just how bad of a temper she had, because he knew Ron probably had nothing on the petite girl in front of him, but he pulled his thoughts away from that as he began to speak again, thankful that she at least was willing to listen to him.  
  
"Well, some of those injuries he is quite ashamed of, and I know he doesn't want you to see them" he said shortly, not like himself at all as he tried to make her see what he was saying without actually having to say it, but the change in her expression showed him that it would not be so easy  
  
"Remus, I want to be with him and he has no wounds he should be ashamed for me to see" said Ginny bluntly, looking up at her professor as though she dared him to try and stop her as she turned to go back into the main part of the hospital again  
  
"Ginny wait, I need you to promise me something before you go back in there" he knew he couldn't stop her once she set mind on something, such as being with Harry, but he would at least try to prepare her for what she would see one last time.  
  
His pleading tone caused her to look at him curiously, but she stopped and waited for his words.  
  
"Promise me that whatever you may see, that you won't jump to conclusions, please, Harry has been through enough, he can't afford to loose you as well"  
  
His words and the emotion startled her so much that she couldn't think of how to respond to his question.  
  
"What are you talking about Remus? What could I possible see that would cause me to turn on him other than.oh." Ginny's voice caught as she suddenly realized what he was getting at.  
  
"What is it Ginny?" asked Remus in concern as she stopped speaking suddenly, her eyes wide and color leaving her face as though she had seem a ghost  
  
"Are you trying to say is that Harry has the mark of you-know-who professor?" she asked as she looked back at the older man, who silently nodded in agreement. Ginny visibly paling even more at this news as her worst nightmare came true.  
  
"Do you know why he has it?" she asked eventually  
  
"No, he hasn't told anyone, and anytime we ask, he closes up and starts to shake as though he is remembering a particularly painful memory. What I do know though, is that he would not voluntarily take on the mark of a death eater, and I ask you to believe me"  
  
"I know he would never join them, they must have forced it on him somehow, and I would never leave him or turn on him" said Ginny with certainty, as she nodded vigorously in agreement with her own words causing a smile to be barely visible on Remus' face.  
  
"Good, now let's go see how he is" he said as he led the way out the door and back to Harry's bedside.  
  
Sirius was standing there in silent shock with Dumbledore at his side as they watched the nurse work on the wound frantically. Snape was still working with his potions, apparently trying to determine what type of poison was on the blade since it was a well known fact that dark wizards were fans of such things. Ron and Hermione were standing in each others arms watching the entire thing without blinking.  
  
The entire side of the bed was red with the free flowing blood and Harry's skin was deathly pale from the immense blood loss he was suffering from. The three friends took in his condition silently, or as much of it as they could see through the black shirt that he still wore, though now it was lying unbuttoned with his arms the only thing still encased by the fabric, noticing the terrible pattern of scars covering his entire chest and stomach, which only Ron had gotten a glimpse of before on the first night back, causing all present to shudder when they thought about how much pain he must have suffered.  
  
As she seated herself next to Harry again, she heard her brother tell Hermione that he was going to go get some fresh cloths for Harry from their dormitory, and she agreed to go with him, thankfully since they still didn't know about the mark and seeing it by accident was probably not the best way for them to find out.  
  
What caught her attention next was the underside of his left arm, where, as Madame Pomfrey rolled the sleeve of his shirt up and felt his pulse, there was the unmistakable mark of Voldemort, a black tattoo of a snake slithering out of the mouth of a skull.  
  
The mark caused her to shudder involuntarily, but she refused to leave his side regardless of the uneasiness it caused.  
  
As Madame Pomfrey worked steadily to stop the constant flow of blood from his left side, she could be heard muttering to herself about how Harry spent more time in the hospital wing than any other student in Hogwarts history. Suddenly, Snape jumped to his feet and rushed to the bedside and forced Harry's mouth open ad he poured three separate potions down his throat before he poured another one over the still bleeding wound, causing it to hiss and smoke painfully for a moment before the blood flow decreased rapidly.  
  
Sighing in relief, Remus turned to the potions master.  
  
"What was on the blade Severus"  
  
"A combination of several fast killing poisons, the three antidotes I gave him should cover all of them" he said wearily as he watched the nurse continue to clean the wound with her hands and other potions before she drew her wand and pointed it at the wound, muttering a few choice words.  
  
As the stream of magic hit Harry's body, a slight shimmering gold could be seen surrounding him for a moment before flickering dangerously and disappearing completely.  
  
"That's not good" they heard Snape muter from beside them  
  
"What do you mean professor, the wound is closing?" asked Hermione, completely confused for one of the few times in her life. She and Ron had just returned and had joined the group around the bed, Ron with a fresh set of pajamas in his arms.  
  
"That shield has been in place somehow since Potter was found, and we figured out that it was the result of him being so powerful. The shield prevented any spells from hitting him as long as he was unable to defend himself, like when he's sleeping or unconscious. We couldn't manage to find a way to drop it to heal him while he was here, that's why it took him so long, he had to heal the muggle way" he explained with none of the usual malice in his voice.  
  
"What would cause it to drop then?"  
  
"I'm not entirely sure, but my best guess would be that he is injured bad enough that instead of his body focusing on maintaining the shield, it has had to focus on just keeping him alive. That poison has been in his body for almost too long, assuming he was stabbed when he screamed, a fraction of the time they have been in his system would have killed a normal wizard, but as we know, Potter is far from normal"  
  
As they were talking, Madame Pomfrey closed the outermost layer of the injury before slumping down into a chair. Nearly two hours had passed since he had been brought in and she was exhausted. Other than Harry on a regular basis and the battle last year, she didn't see many life or death situations, and therefore, they tended to exhaust her.  
  
"Will he be alright Poppy?" asked Dumbledore quietly  
  
"I think so Albus, but we'll know more in the morning. Physically, he's lost a massive amount of blood and as Severus noted, he had the poisons in his system for a lengthily period of time, but I think he'll bounce back from those. I can't believe this happened to him, he's come so far since he was brought back here, but I don't know if he'll be able to do it again. It never fails, everywhere he goes, someone attacks him" she said quietly, meeting the gaze of the aged wizard before her.  
  
Nodding mutely, he settled himself in a chair as well.  
  
"I assume you will all want to stay here tonight as well" he asked looking at the three professors and three students who nodded at him. He then conjured six more chairs for them and the settled in for what promised to be a long night of waiting to see if Harry could pull out of this latest attempt on his life.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It was cold, so very cold. He could faintly hear voices all around him, screaming and crying, but who they were and where he was he didn't know. He felt someone turn him over gently and begin to caress his head, saying quiet words to him, soothing him.  
  
He forced his eyes open and saw the tear streaked face of Ginny over him. Lifting his hand with effort, he grasped hers for a moment and looked deep into her eyes before the darkness began to overtake him again and his muscles gave out.  
  
He felt something lift him and move him before he was again lying on his back, the screams still echoing in the corners of his mind, he felt someone else pull back the side of his robes and the crying increased ten fold before there was utter and complete silence, and the blackness that had been threatening enfolded him completely in its warmth.  
  
When the world returned to his senses, he was lying on a soft bed under layers of thick blankets, but the cold was still penetrating his entire body. His muscles ached and his side was throbbing, but the pain was ignored as the sounds surrounding him came into focus. He heard a gentle snoring from his right side and the sound of a chair creaking under someone's movement, and the sound of birds could be heard in the distance.  
  
Curious, he though back in his foggy mind, trying to figure out where he was, and the image of a tall man with brown hair and eyes holding a silver blade showed it's self in his mind. Startled, he forced his eyes opened to find the man he saw, but instead of the great hall, his eyes were met with the blurry image of the hospital wing.  
  
He silently shifted his weight as he reached to the bed side table where he knew his glasses would by only to see the fuzzy image of someone with long auburn hair sitting beside him sound asleep. The sight caused a small smile to grace his face as he picked up his glasses and looked around the room.  
  
Ginny was right next to his head on his right side, and Sirius was in the same position on his left, leaned up against the wall in an uncomfortable position in a deep sleep.  
  
Behind him, Harry could make out the forms of Ron and Hermione lying together on a bed asleep as well. Dumbledore and Remus were sitting in chairs behind Ginny, also both fast asleep, and standing at the foot of his bed with a pale face was Snape, looking down at him with no smirk or hate, but instead with concern.  
  
Harry sat up slowly, trying not to wince too much as his muscles strained themselves, but was unsuccessful, and his professor noticed his reaction and pulled a small vile of dark blue potion out of his pocket and handed it to the boy.  
  
Noticing the apprehensive look on his face though brought a smirk to his own before he spoke quietly.  
  
"Drink it Potter, it's a post cruciatus potion, it will help to dull the lingering effects"  
  
Nodding once, Harry put the foul smelling potion to his lips and swallowed it in one gulp, trying not to gag at the taste.  
  
"Thanks" he said quietly to the sallow skinned man before lying back down on the bed as he felt some of the pain leave his muscles immediately.  
  
His voice had woken Ginny though, who gave a small start at seeing him awake, and thus in an instant, all in the room were standing around his bed.  
  
"Harry, thank God you're awake!" exclaimed Ginny as she embraced him in a tight hug. He gave her a small smile before turning to Dumbledore.  
  
"What happened?" he asked hesitantly  
  
"You don't remember?" asked Ron in shock  
  
"I remember Shaw and I dueling and I stunned him and I was standing over him, but then everything went black" he stated  
  
"Well, it seems Mr. Shaw was a supporter of Voldemort, one of the few who are still free I might add, and he was intent on succeeding where his master failed in killing you. Don't worry though, after you lost consciousness he was taken into custody and sent directly to Azkaban. During your duel though, he stabbed you with a poisoned blade and we didn't know if you would survive it, but as usual, you defied the odds" said Dumbledore with a slight twinkle in his tired eyes.  
  
As he was speaking, Madame Pomfrey came out of her office and began to tenderly examine his sore side. As he felt the contact of her warm fingers on his cool skin though, he became aware of the fact that he was wearing no shirt.  
  
His eyes immediately shot to those of his girlfriend who was seated next to his left arm, shielding it from the view of Ron and Hermione but not from herself, trying to figure out if she had seen the mark on his arm as he realized that his forearm was being gripped in her hands, completely covering the offending tattoo. Shocked, he slowly looked into her eyes, expecting to see hate, mistrust, anything but what he saw. She smiled slightly at him before leaning to whisper in his ear.  
  
"It's alright Harry, I know you didn't want it. This changes nothing" she said forcefully and he met her eyes in disbelief before giving her a small and astonished smile of gratitude.  
  
Not believing his luck at having such a terrific girlfriend who was willing to ignore such a thing, he felt the gentle pull of exhaustion taking control of him and he once again fell into a fitful sleep.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* A/N: sorry this took so long to get out guys, but I have spent the past two weeks taking midterms and for those of you who have never had university midterms, I'm jealous because there is nothing like living off coffee for fourteen days and getting no sleep at all. But, the good news is, I'm done with everything but one term paper now, so I can write more and get back to my usual schedule of updating every day or every other day! Enough of my rambling now, thanks for reviewing the last couple of chapters and please do the same with this one. Hope you enjoy!  
  
PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	25. Honesty

Chapter 25  
  
When he awoke the next morning, Harry was mildly relieved to see that only Dumbledore and Sirius were still by his side, both of them sound asleep in their respective chairs.  
  
He silently turned his head to look out the windows on the far side of the infirmary and was startled to see that the sun was high in the winter sky, meaning he had been asleep for several hours.  
  
'Ginny, and the others must be in classes' he thought to himself as he turned back to see the bright blue eyes of his headmaster looking intently at him.  
  
"Good morning Harry. How are you feeling?" he asked in concern, keeping his eyes fixed on Harry's face  
  
"Not too terribly bad, considering sir" Harry answered truthfully, because the soreness his muscles had felt last time he had awoken was almost completely gone and the pain in his side was only a dull throb now.  
  
"That is good news indeed Harry" said the headmaster kindly, and some of the familiar twinkle returned to his eyes for a moment  
  
"What about Shaw sir?" asked Harry, not even trying to hide the contempt from his voice  
  
"Taken into custody and being held in a maximum security cell at the ministry awaiting trial" answered the old man, obviously not wanting to elaborate  
  
"Albus, how is it that a supporter of Voldemort became the head Auror? Why hasn't he been arrested before this and why wasn't he with the rest when they attacked the school?" demanded Sirius, and Harry and Dumbledore both gave him surprised expressions since neither had realized that he was awake  
  
"Sirius, perhaps we should retire to my office to discuss this" suggested the aged wizard, clearly not wanting Harry to hear what he was about to say  
  
"No Albus" said Sirius firmly "that man tried and almost succeeded in killing Harry. He has a right to know how and why"  
  
Harry was grateful for his godfathers insistence and also fixed the headmaster with an expectant gaze before the man sighed deeply and answered their questions  
  
"Very well, Harry does have a right to know" he said miserably, the twinkling completely disappearing from his tired eyes "As for your first question Sirius, I don't have an answer. I have no idea how Shaw was capable of achieving such a position without being discovered.  
  
As for why he hasn't been discovered before, I only have a theory that Voldemort didn't allow any of his other followers know the identities of high ranking officials in the ministry so that there would never be the threat of those followers being discovered and imprisoned. This is also the reason I believe Shaw was not present at the attack last spring. Voldemort wanted to assure that if he were defeated and his followers were captured, there would be others available to free them and rejoin their master. Keep in mind that these are only theories and speculations since Shaw had yet to be questioned.  
  
Now Harry, I have a rather difficult question for you if you don't mind" he concluded as he fixed his eyes on the Gryffindor boy once again  
  
Harry had a vague idea what was about to come, but he answered anyways  
  
"Go ahead sir"  
  
"I would like for you to tell me about the time between your disappearance and the night you turned up in the muggle hospital as well as who you appeared to be speaking to before you lost consciousness that was telling you to kill Shaw " he said bluntly, his gaze never wavering from the boy before him  
  
"Albus, surely." Sirius began to object but was cut off by Harry  
  
"It's alright Sirius" he said without looking at his godfather before continuing "Headmaster, I'm afraid you already know almost everything. Ginny told you the beginning the first day of term but I'll tell you the rest now, as much as I remember anyway. I keep having the same nightmares over and over again, but they never get any further than the same point. I remember waking up and being found by Malfoy, and him ordering two other death eaters to beat me. Them I remember waking up in a small dark room and someone coming in and dragging me up some stairs and into a large chamber where all of the others are gathered. Then I hear Voldemort say something about not getting rid of him that easily. That's when I wake up" he explained  
  
"You don't remember anything else?" asked Dumbledore  
  
"Bits and pieces, mainly people cursing me, but no specifics. As for who I was talking to, I have no idea, there was just a voice in my head telling me that I wanted to kill Shaw for the pain he caused me and when I refused, it said I would regret it and then I felt pain worse than ten Cruciatus curses, but they were coming from myself, there was no way I could block it out or stop it. That's all I know, I'm sorry" he said miserably as he looked to his hands which were on his lap  
  
"Don't be sorry Harry; there is nothing you can do about it. Please come to me though if you remember anything else. You have given me enough to think about right now and I must contact the minister about the results of the trial. You should get some rest for the time being, I'm sure Poppy wouldn't mind releasing you to Sirius' quarters. You will be excused from the rest of your classes this week, but I imagine there are several people who are anxious to see that you have recovered" he said as he got to his feet and prepared to leave.  
  
Sighing heavily, Harry settled back into his bed and turned to face the concerned eyes of his godfather.  
  
"Tell me the truth Harry, how are you feeling"  
  
"Honestly Sirius, not bad. Perhaps a little sore and tired but that's all. Why do you ask?"  
  
"I care about you Harry, it's my job to protect you and so far I've done a pretty terrible job at it"  
  
"No you haven't Sirius. You are the first real family I've ever had and it is not your fault that Voldemort and his brainless followers have been out to get me since the day I was born" he said gently, trying to reassure his godfather  
  
"That's just it Harry, ever since I was named your godfather by Lily and James I've allowed so many things to happen to you. First I convinced them to change to Peter and caused their deaths, then I went after the rat and got arrested and caused you to be brought up by those pathetic relatives of yours and was absent in your life for twelve years.  
  
Then when I got out and found you, I allowed you to get kidnapped by you- know-who during the triwizard tournament where you had to watch a friend get killed and then have to face the bastard in a duel where you barley escaped alive.  
  
And if that's not bad enough, I was in Hogsmeade when they decided to attack to castle last year and got back just in time to see five people holding you under the cruciatus curse before you again dueled with you-know- who and before I knew what was happening, you were hit with the killing curse and then disappeared for three months.  
  
When we found you again and you started to recover, I finally thought things were starting to go the right way only to have a death eater sneak into the castle and duel you and almost kill you yet again by stabbing you.  
  
Can't you see what a pathetic job I've done at protecting you? If I had been a decent godfather, I would have never allowed any of these things to happen and your main concern would be taking tests and your relationship with Ginny, not weather or not you are going to be captured, tortured, or killed in the near future"  
  
As Sirius confessed these things, Harry was shocked to see that the older man had tears running unchecked down his cheeks. This man had always been so strong and invincible in his eyes. He knew Sirius had blamed himself for his parents' deaths, but he had no idea that he thought he had caused every bad thing that Harry had ever had happen in his life.  
  
"Sirius, look at me" he demanded and when Sirius continued to look at the floor, Harry gently took his chin in his hand and forced him to look into his eyes before continuing  
  
"Sirius, listen to me here. None of this is your fault at all. Voldemort would have found a way to take me during the tournament no matter what you tried to do. Even Dumbledore had no idea about what he had planned. As for what happened last year, everyone knows that I would have to face him again eventually and I refused to let him hurt Ginny.  
  
You were busy trying to protect the younger students, I saw you, and before that, all of you were being restrained by death eaters, there is no way anyone could have prevented that. And as far as Shaw is concerned, I had my suspicions about him as soon as I saw him. I knew there was something not quite right about him so I decided to find out what it was so I provoked him into dueling with me so there was no way you could have stopped that either.  
  
I underestimated him and that is how I got stabbed. Can you see now that none of this is your fault? You have been the perfect godfather since I met you, and you always try to protect me. It's not your fault that the world likes to torture me like this, you've always been there to help me out of my latest mess.  
  
As far as I'm concerned, you're the best godfather that my parents could have chosen to lookout for me" he said honestly, and to his own surprise, he felt tears stinging his eyes, though he knew they would never fall, they never did, mainly because he had trained himself long ago never to cry, no matter what the circumstances were.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ginny was miserable. She was sitting in her history of magic class listening to professor Binns drone on and on about some warlocks convention that had occurred nearly two hundred years ago and try as she might, she just couldn't bring herself to pay attention to what the ghost was saying, she had much more important things on her mind, like Harry.  
  
While she was being forced to sit through class, he was still in the hospital wing recovering. The initial injury had been healed for several days now, leaving nothing behind but a two inch long scar that just blended in with the hundreds of others that marred his once unmarked skin. The poison was what he was still trying to recover from. Even though he was out of any life threatening danger from the poisons that the blade had been coated with, the fact that they had been in his blood stream for so long were still causing him some problems. His energy levels were nearly nonexistent and he could only stay awake for short periods of time before he fell asleep from exhaustion and it seemed that he was always shivering from cold no matter how many blankets covered him.  
  
It had been nearly four days since he had been admitted to the hospital wing, and slowly but surely, he was recovering. Today was the last day of classes before Christmas break and like all the previous years, her, Ron, and Hermione would be remaining at the castle, if only to keep Harry company. Most of the other students were going home for the first time since Voldemort's rebirth, parents finally feeling safe enough to allow their children to return for the holiday, with no threat of being attacked, while they slept, by death eaters. So far, they were the only four Gryffindor students who had signed up to remain at the castle, and they were not complaining to say the least. Ginny got a small smile on her face as this thought came to mind, but it disappeared immediately as another took its place.  
  
No matter how bad the after effects of the poison were, they paled in comparison to what plagued her boyfriends' dreams. He could never remember what he had dreamed about when he woke up, but watching his sleeping body made her glad he couldn't remember.  
  
They always started out the same way, his breathing would pick up and every muscle in his body would tense and his fists would become tight as he gripped the sheets below his body. He would then break out in a heavy sweat and kick the several layers of thick blankets off as he started thrashing around in the bed. He would then start moaning in pain and mumbling incoherently under his breath for several minutes before he would sit bolt upright and start gasping for breath as he starred straight ahead with a horrified expression on his face. Then he would look wildly around him until he caught the eyes of either her or Sirius, one of which was always by his side. They would ask him what had happened, but he would get a confused expression on his face for a split second before he met their eyes again and said he couldn't remember.  
  
These nightmares were what bothered Ginny the most because come tomorrow, Harry would be returning to Gryffindor tower once all the other students left because Sirius was being sent out with Remus and Snape to question Shaw and then stand as witnesses at his trial along with the other professors a few days later. The three of them would be gone until the day before Christmas Eve, nine days from now.  
  
Another thing that she was worried about was how Ron and Hermione would react when they found out that Harry had the dark mark on his arm. She knew he had put a lot of effort into hiding it from all of them, and she was amazed that he had been successful for so long. She had told him that it didn't matter to her that he had it, and it really didn't. But if she were completely honest with herself, it scared her. This thing that she had come to fear and hate with all of her being was tattooed as a disgusting and terrifying reminder on her boyfriends arm, to always remind them of dark times. She knew in her heart that he would have never gotten it of his own free will, but she wasn't sure if Harry's best friends would see it the same way she did. She was worried that this would be the last straw for the two of them and that once they found out, that they would turn on him for good.  
  
"Miss. Westley, could you please answer my question?" upon hearing her name, or as close to it as the ghost ever got, Ginny's head snapped up and she was pulled from her thoughts  
  
"Could you repeat the question please sir?" she asked tentatively, flashing a bright smile that she hoped would result in him forgiving her  
  
"I asked you who was responsible for the Warlocks Convention of 1783 being disbanded before they voted on the issue of whether or not the breeding of certain deadly magical beasts should be forbidden" he answered in a monotonous voice  
  
Ginny was at a lose for the answer, she had let her mind wander and due to the events of the past week had not read her assignment the night before. She was about to say she didn't know when she felt someone nudge her left side and she glanced into the face of Colin Creevey for an instant before he motioned with his eyes for her to look at the table before her where a name was written in large letters. Smiling slightly in gratitude, she answered the question.  
  
"Ian Marthwise sir"  
  
"Thank you Miss. Westley, now as I was saying." he continued in his dull voice and Ginny blocked him out again as she wrote a quick thank you to Colin who smiled at her as she once again lost herself in her own wandering thoughts. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N: Hey guys, this will be short because I have to get to sleep so I can go trick or treating tomorrow night and stay up all night!! Halloween is so much fun, what other day can twenty year olds dress up and act like little kids without being though of as immature? Well, thanks for all your reviews for the last chapter and please let me know what you think of this one as well, I know it doesn't have any action, it's mainly just emotional stuff and talking, but it will establish what is to come so please let me know what you think! Oh yeah, someone asked me how many chapters this was going to be and to tell you the truth, I have no idea yet, I post as I write, but rest assured that there is still more to come. Thanks for reviewing! 


	26. Unintentional Observations

Chapter 26  
  
The next morning dawned bright and cold for all of the students who were still at Hogwarts, which was a small number. As soon as the sun was peaking over the tall trees of the forbidden forest, Harry was awakened by someone calling his name quietly. Recognizing the voice immediately as that of his godfather, he slowly opened his eyes and found himself looking into the blue eyes of the man he had come to see as his surrogate father.  
  
"Morning Harry" he said gently as he settled into a chair beside the bed  
  
"Morning Sirius" Harry mumbled, obviously still drowsy and not quite awake as he awkwardly pulled himself into a sitting position on the bed while trying to keep the warmth of the blankets wrapped securely around his thin frame.  
  
Sirius caught his struggle and his brow furrowed in worry.  
  
"Are you still cold Harry?"  
  
"A little, but I'll be fine, don't worry" he said with a small smile, finally looking awake  
  
"Are you sure? I could stay here if you would like" offered Sirius, hoping that Harry would ask him to stay, not just so that they could spend some time together, but also not wanting to let the boy out of his sight for a moment in fear that something else would happen to him.  
  
"No Sirius, you know you have to go with Remus and Snape. You're the only one who has ever had any experience interrogating death eaters. You know as well as I do that neither of them will be able to get anything useful from Shaw without using a truth serum, and we need the names of any other traitors that may have escaped us" he said in a firm voice, making him sound more like the parent than Sirius, which brought a grin to the older mans face before he spoke again.  
  
"Ok, I give in, you have a point. But promise me that if anything happens, you'll contact one of us immediately. Dumbledore and Poppy will be here until the day of the trial, they are both being asked to testify." he began, but was interrupted by a smirking godson  
  
"I know Sirius, you've told me this at least twice a day for the past week" he chided gently, amused by the pout on his godfathers face  
  
"I'm just worried about you Harry, we both know that you have a tendency to get into rather, how should I say this, interesting and dangerous situations" he said, with a smirk that mirrored the boys on his own face  
  
"True, but I don't think I'll be doing much trouble making for the next couple of weeks, especially since Ginny will probably mother me more that you and Madame Pomfrey combined"  
  
"I beg your pardon young man! I do NOT mother you!" Sirius exclaimed in mock outrage before asking under his breath "Do I?"  
  
At this, Harry couldn't contain himself and he started to laugh at the almost horrified expression on the mans' face.  
  
"Face it Sirius" he gasped out between burst of laughter "You do mother me, but don't worry, I don't think you as any less of a man because of it"  
  
At those words, Sirius almost pounced on Harry like a dog would have, until he remembered that his godson was injured and needed to conserve his energy, so he settled for taking a seat on the bed beside him and gently brushing a long lock of ebony hair from the boys face, revealing the long and ragged looking scar that ran from his cheek bone to his jaw.  
  
As they sat in silence for a moment, Sirius couldn't help but wonder how this seventeen year old boy had managed to not only survive all that he had, but also continue to harbor a semblance of innocence somewhere deep in his soul.  
  
An innocence that could very easily be overlooked completely if a stranger were to just take a glance at him, with the long black hair and scarred face, innocence could be completely ignored.  
  
But if you were to look deep into the emerald eyes, beyond the pain, despair, and anguish, one could glimpse the child that was hidden and had never had an opportunity to shine completely.  
  
Sirius rarely saw this himself, and almost always Harry was in the company of Ginny when he allowed his shields to drop completely and just live his life to the fullest, relishing in the peace that the love shared between him and the red head brought him.  
  
"Sirius, what are you thinking about?" Harry finally asked as his godfather continued to gaze at him as a father would his son.  
  
"Just what that little comment about me mothering you means" he said in a serious tone, not even allowing a hint of a smile to grace his features "that comment means that as soon as you are well enough, you will be suffering the wrath of a full grown Marauder who also happens to be a professor at your school, meaning that I don't have any rules to follow, and I can get away with anything" he said in a threatening whisper, amused by the fleeting look of terror that crossed Harry's face before the boy spoke up.  
  
"You may be a Marauder Sirius, but I have my own connections and I can guarantee that I will win this battle" he said with a wide grin  
  
"Connections? What are you talking about Harry?" he asked, truly confused by the younger boys words and confidence  
  
"Oh, let me see here, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, the rest of Gryffindor, Remus, all of the other professors who have been waiting on the opportunity to get revenge on you since you were a student, and a pair of twins who just so happen to own a very successful joke shop and would be only more than willing to give their partner some free products. All I have to say, is let the war begin!" he said, his smile getting even larger as Sirius visibly gulped and paled a few shades as he realized that Harry most defiantly had the upper hand on him.  
  
Before he could say another word though, to try to take back his threats, Remus and Snape came through the door, ready to leave for the ministry.  
  
"Padfoot, what's wrong, you look as thought you've seen a ghost" asked Remus, concern evident in his voice as he took in the pale face of his best friend, but it was Harry who answered him.  
  
"Morning Moony, Professor, Sirius here just found out that it was probably not a great idea to threaten me with pranks when I listed off the names of people in the castle who would only be more than willing to side with me in order to get some revenge on the infamous Sirius Black, a.k.a. Messer Padfoot" he said with a cheeky grin on his face  
  
"Uh oh Padfoot, what on earth have you gotten yourself into this time" said Remus with a wide grin on his face as well.  
  
"As much as I too would like to exact my own revenge on Black for several embarrassing moments throughout the years, the minister is awaiting us" said Snape in his normal oily voice, although his expression clearly stated that he was willing to aid with any prank played on Sirius, which caused the ex-convict to gulp again before turning back to Harry.  
  
"I guess I had better go, be careful and take care of yourself while I'm gone. Ginny, Hermione and Ron will be here later this morning to help you get back to the tower, I'll owl you if we get anything interesting out of Shaw. Look out of yourself while I'm gone" he finished as he stool and gave Harry a tight hug before joining Snape and Remus at the door.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll be fine mum" Harry said cheerfully to his godfather before he was out of earshot, but he raised his voice to where it could just be heard by the other two men, both of whom gave Sirius amused glances.  
  
"This means war" were the only words Sirius spoke before the trio was out the door, but he could hear Remus ask why Harry was calling Sirius mom, which caused the boy to smile to himself before he lay back down in the warmth of his bed and immediately fell asleep once again, his mind light and carefree for the first time in too long.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ginny was getting quite irritated at her brother and his girlfriend. They were supposed to meet her in the common room at nine that morning so that they could go and get Harry, and it was now nearly nine thirty and neither of them had made it out if their respective dormitories. She had been pacing back and forth in front of the fire for nearly an hour now, since she hadn't been able to sleep much after the sun had come up in anticipation for seeing Harry, and she allowed another exasperated sigh escape her mouth as she glared up toward the boys dormitories again for a moment before turning her eyes on the girls. She was pleased to see that Hermione was descending the staircase though, but refused to allow the pleasure show on her face as she glared at the older girl.  
  
"It's about time Hermione! I thought you were the responsible one who was never late for anything this important" she accused, and was more than a little shocked to see a faint blush creep up her face and her mouth opening and closing several times before she managed to speak.  
  
"Sorry Gin, um, we were, um, up late last night" she said, hoping that this was a good enough excuse for the younger girl.  
  
"And just what were you and my big brother up to last night that caused you to loose so much sleep Hermione" she asked accusingly, a smile playing on her lips at the older girls obvious discomfort.  
  
"You know, we were, just, we were, um, taking advantage of the empty common room" she explained, the blush increasing before she too got a smile on her face as she looked at the younger girl.  
  
"Like you and Harry have never done the same thing" she said accusingly  
  
"But it's not Harry and I that we are talking about right now, it's you and Ron and what you were ding that caused me to have to wait so long for you to wake up this morning"  
  
"Ok, I apologize Ginny, what do you say we go and wake Ron up" she said, with a mischievous glint in her eye that she could only have learned from the twins as the pair made their way up into the forbidden boys dormitory.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Within ten minutes, the trio was making their way down the winding corridors to the hospital wing, chatting adamantly about Christmas which was only a week and a half away. They compared gift ideas for the rest of the Weasley family and Harry and tried to guess what each had gotten for the other, but none of them were near successful.  
  
When they walked into the infirmary, they were mildly shocked to see that no one was sitting beside Harry's bed, even though there had always been someone present at his side since the instant he had been brought in.  
  
"They must have already left" Ginny whispered quietly to the other two, speaking of the trio that was heading for the ministry that morning  
  
"Probably, they wanted to get an early start, but I wish I could have wished them luck" said Hermione in the same whispered voice  
  
Ron though, had other things on his mind.  
  
"Who wants the honor of waking him up, because after last time, I am not going near him" he said as he starred at the bundled up form of his best friend who was sound asleep in the bed furthest from the door.  
  
"Not me!" exclaimed Hermione instantly and both her and Ron turned their gazes on Ginny who was looking at the couple with wide eyes.  
  
"Me?" she croaked out as she continued to stare  
  
"You're his girlfriend Gin, it's your responsibility" said Hermione forcefully as she almost violently nodded her head  
  
"WHAT! I already had to wake up Ron and now I have to wake up Harry?" she exclaimed as she shot the older girl an accusing glare. Hermione had failed to wake up the red headed boy after several attempts of sweet talking in his ears and Ginny had been impatient so she had conjured a glass of ice cold water and poured it over her brothers head, causing him to be wide awake in about two seconds flat.  
  
"You weren't forced to wake me up you know" snarled Ron in a fake threatening tone  
  
"Well, Hermione's methods weren't working so I decided to improvise a little" she said innocently, flashing her brother a wide grin.  
  
"You know, with the three of you arguing, it's impossible for a person to get any sleep" said a groggy voice from the far side of the room and instantly, all three looked up to see Harry sending them a grin from his bed.  
  
"Harry!" exclaimed Ginny as she launched herself onto her boyfriend and pulled him into a tight hug. Ron and Hermione followed her with smiles on their faces as well  
  
"Gin, I can't breath" gasped Harry after a few moments and Ginny reluctantly stood up and took Harry's hand as she pulled him from the bed.  
  
"So what were the three of you arguing about this time?" he asked them as he gathered up his cloths and walked behind the curtains next to him to change.  
  
"Well, um, we were, um, just, um" began Ron hesitantly while he shot questioning looks to Ginny and Hermione.  
  
"Spit it out Ron" said Harry in amusement as he walked from behind the curtain and sat back on the bed to put his shoes on.  
  
"Well, we were just trying to figure out who was going to wake you up, needless to say, none of us were very anxious for the job" said Ron finally, without taking a breath.  
  
Harry grinned before saying "What's to worry about Ron, I wouldn't have cursed you" he said with the smile still on his face as he saw Ron's relieved expression before he continued "too badly anyways" and that caused all but Ron to burst out laughing as he paled and his mouth fell open in shock.  
  
"Come on guys, let's get to breakfast, I'm starving" said Harry when he was finished dressing, not realizing the looks of concern his friends sent him as he pulled his heavy winter cloak over his shoulders even though they were all quite warm and had no intentions of going outside. They were soon smiling though when Harry told them about the conversation with Sirius that morning and described the look of horror on his face when Harry threatened to pull a prank on him. The next week was spent discussing what exactly they could pull on the ex-convict and sitting curled up in each others arms in front of the roaring fire. Ginny with Harry and Ron with Hermione, both couples feeling a sense of peace and security that had been missing for far too long.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The night before Sirius and the rest of the group from the ministry were due to return to the castle Harry and Ginny went to bed early and left Ron and Hermione alone in the common room for several hours before they both decided to get to sleep as well so they would be well rested to begin preparation for the prank on Sirius. After a long and passionate kiss in front of the fire, Ron made his way into the seventh year boys dormitory and was getting changed into his pajamas when he heard a muffled gasp of pain from Harry's bed.  
  
Startled, he pulled the scarlet hangings aside and looked down on his best friend. Harry was covered in sweat and throwing his head from side to side almost violently while muttering the word no under his breath repeatedly. Ron instantly knew he was having a particularly bad nightmare and before he realized what he was doing, he grasped the other boys shoulder in his hand in an attempt to wake him up.  
  
Ron immediately felt as though the world were tilted upside down and he were falling headfirst into an unknown abyss, and he squeezed his eyes closed instinctively so that he wouldn't loose everything he had eaten for dinner. After a few short moments though, he felt his feet his the hard ground, followed by the rest of his body with a loud thump.  
  
Breathing deeply for several minutes, he lie still and tried to figure out what had just happened, but seeing as his eyes were still closed, he was unsuccessful, so he pried them open and sat up on his knees as he looked around.  
  
He was sitting in what appeared to be a large stone chamber of some sort with a huge fire in the middle, casting shadows all around the room. There were no other people around him, but he could hear voice coming from the other side of the fire but due to the glare, he couldn't see who they belonged to.  
  
He got shakily to his feet and looked around him again trying to figure out what had happened when he had grabbed Harry's shoulder in the dorm. The place he was in was cold and damp with stone walls and a domed stone ceiling. The ground was a hard compact dirt and the entire place smelled of something evil. Just then, he caught sight of someone walking toward him and he started calling out to the other person frantically.  
  
"Excuse me, could you tell me where we are?" he asked the form as it approached, but he received no answer. He was about to try again when the figure walked into the light of the fire and Ron got a good look at his clothes. He was wearing black robes with the dark mark stitched onto the front of them, marking him to clearly be a death eater.  
  
Shocked, Ron stumbled backward as he screamed in terror, expecting to be killed immediately, but to his surprise, the man ignored him completely and continued on his way, stopping only a couple of feet in front of Ron who was frozen in place.  
  
'What is going on here' he mumbled to himself as he watched the man pull some sort of iron rod from the fire, half of it glowing a bright orange color.  
  
Curious, Ron watched him turn and walk back in the direction he had come, and deciding there was nothing better to do, he followed the man to the far side of the large fire where he saw a crowd of probably fifty other black robe clad figures gather in a half circle facing one of the walls.  
  
He silently approached the wall and maneuvered along it until he was standing in front of several death eaters who didn't even seem to realize he was there.  
  
Standing in the middle of the crowd were two men who were also facing the wall. One had long silver blonde hair and Ron recognized him immediately as Lucius Malfoy. The other though, had short cropped sandy blonde hair and stood quite a bit shorter than Malfoy, and Ron knew he had never seen him before. Suddenly, the shorter man began to speak and instantly all the whispered conversations around him ceased.  
  
"This is your last opportunity boy" he said in a hiss "tell us how to escape from this prison you brought us to and I will all you to leave as you are, refuse and I will do to you that which you despise the most" he threatened  
  
Ron couldn't see who he was talking to, but he pitied who ever it was a great deal because this man seemed to be one who would follow through with whatever threat he made. He then heard the familiar voice of his best friend come from just in front of the two men.  
  
"I will never tell you how to escape from here, no matter what you do to me. You will never leave this place to torture and kill innocent people again, I swear my life on it" Harry's voice was hoarse and cracking, but his words seemed to anger the man even more.  
  
"Very well Potter, but know this, we may all very well die here, and you may or may not escape with your life, but no matter what, you will from this point forward be seen as a traitor by the whole wizarding world, weather you are found dead or alive. Lucius, do it" he said to the other man who inclined his head slightly and both men turned their backs and joined the others in the group, giving Ron his first clear look at his best friend, and what he say made him start to shake in horror.  
  
Harry had his back to the stone wall and his arms drawn over his head and held in place by a thick black chain that seemed to glow an almost red color. His right arm was obviously broken, bending in several odd angles with dried blood caked on the arm of his robes. The rest of his clothing was shredded over his body and through the ragged fabric, Ron could make out dark bruises and bloody cuts marring every inch of exposed flesh. The once prestigious Hogwarts crest that adorned the front of the robes was barley identifiable due to the fact that it was completely soaked through with dark red blood.  
  
His legs were bent at the knees as though he couldn't support his weight, but again, the right one was not bent in a natural angle and was obviously broken. All in all, Harry Potter was a mass of blood, bruises, and broken bones and Ron was amazed that he was still alive.  
  
Suddenly the answer as to where he was hit him like a ton of bricks, he was inside Harry's nightmare, a nightmare of the time he had been missing with you-know-who. But where was the evil wizard?  
  
Before he could answer that question though, he saw Malfoy once again approach Harry, holding the piece of iron that the other death eater had brought from the fire earlier, it was still glowing bright orange and Ron was terrified to see what was about to happen but couldn't seem to pry his eyes away from the scene in front of him.  
  
Once directly in front of Harry, Malfoy looked over his shoulder and nodded his head at the shorter man who in turn waved his wand at the chains holding Harry and his left arm fell limply to his side. Malfoy then went to grab his arm, but instead went flying backwards into the crowd of men behind him and dropping the iron bar on the floor.  
  
Furious, he disentangled himself from the others and stalked back to Harry, but before he could do anything, the other man began speaking again, with a cruel smile twisting his lips. "Now, now Harry, that wasn't very polite. You should know by now that you can't escape from me like you have so easily done the past four times we have met. You are playing by my rules this time, and for refusing to abide by those rules, you will pay dearly" and with that, he turned to the men behind him, four of which instantly drew their wands and cast the cruciatus curse simultaneously on the black haired boy before them.  
  
Harry's entire body tensed up in pain and his legs gave out under the little weight they had been supporting, causing his entire body to be held up by the chain attached to the wrist of his broken arm. Every muscle in his body then began to twitch and shake under the force of the curse.  
  
Malfoy then raised his own wand and aimed it at the boy's already bloody chest where he said a curse under his breath and began to wield his wand like a knife and cut into the flesh in long lines and curves, as though he were drawing a picture and coloring it with blood. Once there were several more designs on his chest, he drew closer to the boy and aimed the wand at his face where he used it to make a deep and ragged cut beginning at his cheekbone and continuing until he reached the jaw bone, causing a new river of blood to course down the pale skin and become soaked up by the black robes.  
  
Ron was in a state of utter shock as he watched what was going in front of him. He knew that some terrible things had happened to Harry while he had been gone, but even in his most terrible nightmares he couldn't have imagined it being this bad. How could Harry have survived this at all? He now understood perfectly well why his best friend had been so distant and jumpy when he had returned and felt a deep pang of regret for ever saying that he attacked him. Hell, if he had been in Harry's position he would have never been able to trust anyone ever again.  
  
After several minutes of the cruciatus curse, it was lifted and Malfoy once again approached with the iron pole, which Ron only now realized was a brand, but what of he couldn't tell from his position. Malfoy grabbed Harry's arm roughly, and this time the boy was too weak to even begin to resist him. He twisted his arm until the underside was visible and before Ron could comprehend what was happening, he heard the terrible hiss of burning flesh and the acrid odor penetrated his nostrils, his dinner once again threatening to make an appearance.  
  
Malfoy held the brand in place for several moments before removing it and revealing a mass of bloody and blistered skin beneath it. The entire time, Harry had only moaned in pain, and tried weakly to free his arm from the pain. Malfoy then dropped the brand once again in the dirt and while still holding Harry's arm tightly pulled a bottle of some black potion from his robes and uncorking it with his teeth he proceeded to pour it over the burnt skin, and only now did they get a real response from Harry, who began to scream at the top of his lungs until he was forced to stop and take several ragged and gasping breaths as he starred at his arm in disgust, and Ron followed his gaze.  
  
The black potion was seeping into the skin and slowly began to manipulate itself and began to form shapes on the bloody skin. Even through the blood though, Ron could tell what shape the lines were forming, and he could only watch in shock as the dark mark embedded itself into his friends flesh. Horrified, he looked at his friends face and saw tears in his eyes the instant the mark finished forming. In that instant, his eyes became dead and his spirit seemed to break, leaving only a bloody and broken shell behind for an instant before he lost consciousness. Malfoy then pulled two other bottles from his robes and forced them down Harry's throat before the other blonde man returned Harry's arm to its chain and all the death eaters turned their backs on him, laughing and going back to the fire.  
  
Ron then felt the world tip upside down again and within seconds found himself once again standing in his dorm room with his hand grasping Harry's shoulder, but Harry was no longer thrashing around or moaning, so he looked to his face and Ron found his eyes locked with emerald green ones.  
  
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A/N: Hey guys, I know this took longer to post than usual, but it is nearly twice as long! Thanks for reviewing the last chapter. Hope you enjoy this one and please remember to review, I really appreciate any comments you have! 


	27. Late Night Discoveries

Chapter 27  
  
Upon seeing the green eyes focused on his face, Ron immediately let go of Harry's shoulder as though he had been burnt and backed up several steps before he fell to his own bed, keeping his eyes locked to Harry's, neither of them blinking.  
  
They continued to stare at one another in silence for several moments before Harry broke the tension and pulled himself to a sitting position on his bed facing Ron. He took several deep breaths with his eyes closed to calm his ragged nerves before he opened his eyes again, this time with his emotions hidden behind an invisible barrier, and spoke in a flat and emotionless tone to his best friend.  
  
"You saw" it was not a question, but a statement, and as he said it he continued to stare into Ron's eyes with his own.  
  
Ron, who was still too shaken up to form a coherent sentence merely nodded his head, and it was then that he realized that he was shaking physically as well as mentally.  
  
At Ron's acknowledgement, Harry closed his eyes for another moment and took a deep, shuddering breath and tried to block out the comments that the strange voice in his mind was making. Before he had been stabbed with the poisoned blade, he had only heard the voice on a handful of occasions during the months after he had returned, but since that day, the voice was an almost constant presence in his mind, always whispering things in his ears. Also, since the duel, his nightmares had begun to change, he now remembered everything that had happened during those three terrible months with perfect clarity, but he hadn't told anyone else yet, preferring to speak to Sirius and Dumbledore when they returned first, before he told his friends or Ginny. But now, Ron had seen the most terrible memory of them all, the one thing that he had planned to keep hidden from everyone had been revealed and he was frightened that this memory would destroy his friendship with Ron, and probably Hermione as well.  
  
'Well boy, now what are you going to do? He now knows the truth, he will turn his back on you before morning, and he will turn the rest of them against you as well, for you carry the mark of the most terrible dark lord that has ever existed. Your alienation has begun'  
  
Ron watched in concern as Harry closed his eyes and took several deep, shuddering breaths. He sat perfectly still for what seemed like an eternity before he lifted his face again, and Ron couldn't help but notice the scar that marred his cheek and remembered with terror the sight of Malfoy creating the deep gash and the blood flowing down his cheek. Ron forced the images from his mind as he looked once again into the deadened emerald eyes of the boy sitting directly in front of him. It became apparent after several more minutes of silence that Harry wasn't going to say anything, so Ron cleared his throat and decided to break the silence himself.  
  
"What in the bloody hell just happened?" he asked, still in a state of severe shock.  
  
"I am pleased to inform you that you have just been the unwilling witness to one of the memories, or as I like to refer to them, nightmares from the deepest hell, of the famous boy-who-lived" answered Harry, sarcasm dripping off of every word as the voice of his enemy continued trying to tell him that his best friend was about to abandon him for good.  
  
"So, that wasn't just a nightmare, but a memory?" asked Ron as his face became completely void of the little color it had possessed only moments before, completely oblivious to Harry's previous tone  
  
"Yes" was all that the black haired boy said in way of answer, his green eyes starring at the other boy, hiding all thoughts and emotions as though they were made of ice.  
  
"How?" asked Ron  
  
"I don't know, but it had something to do with you touching me while I was in the nightmare myself. It's only happened once before, to one of the death eaters" he answered curtly, still not taking his hardened gaze from Ron's pale and slightly dazed face.  
  
"Harry" he began, but it felt as though he had a boulder in his throat so he cleared it again and started over "Harry, I'm sorry" he said quietly and to his amazement, his words caused Harry to look completely shocked himself and for a moment his expression softened.  
  
'Perhaps I was wrong boy, it doesn't look like he is going to turn on you, he is going to do far worse, he is going to pity you. He is going to look at you as though you are some poor, pathetic, abused little boy who couldn't even defend himself. He is going to try to protect you from everything now, not letting you out of his sight in fear that you will get hurt' said the voice, but even though Harry feared the words were true, he pushed his worries back and instead began to speak himself.  
  
"For what?" he asked hesitantly, dreading the answer he would receive and fixing his face back into its original mask.  
  
"Everything, for ever doubting that you were on the same side as the rest of us, for being jealous of your powers, for trying to turn everyone against you, for believing you would ever knowingly hurt anyone you cared about, but mostly for nearly believing what everyone else said when they said you were dead, that you could never have survived and trying to convince Ginny of that as well when I knew that you would never give up and that you were stronger than everyone else thought you were, everything" he said in the same quiet tones, but with an underlying of undeniable force and conviction of heart felt honesty.  
  
After Ron's speech, Harry couldn't help but allow himself to relax slightly, especially since the voice had said nothing to counter Ron's words. Harry allowed a hesitant smile to grace his features, and was pleased to see the same on Ron's face, as well as some color on his cheeks that had been absent since Harry awoke.  
  
"Thanks Ron, you have no idea how much that means to me" he said honestly before his brow creased in worry again as he asked his next question "how do you feel about this though?" he asked hesitantly as he rubbed his left forearm through his pajama shirt.  
  
Ron thought carefully about his response for several moments before he spoke again, praying that Harry would believe his words "I think" he began hesitantly "that had I just seen the mark without knowing the story behind it, I would have jumped to some pretty terrible conclusions, but seeing as I found out this way, I can honestly say that you may wear the mark of you- know-who on your body, but you will never wear it in your soul. You will never become anything like him. I know that, and so do you. Deep down, I have always known that, but I'm the first one to admit that I sometimes tend to jump to the most obvious conclusions without thinking things through" he said wearily as he smiled grimly at his best friend.  
  
Harry sighed in relief, he knew that what Ron had told him was what he thought was the truth. Ron had absolutely no idea though, about just how close to the actual truth he was, but what Harry currently doubted was weather he would be able to remain strong enough to fight off the dark suggestions that the voice in his mind was always offering. He had been terribly tempted to kill Shaw when the man had been lying on the floor before him, he had wanted to kill the man, but something deep inside his soul had forced him to stop, and that same thing was constantly contradicting everything the voice said and Harry was worried that one day that good part of his soul would give up and he would fall into the temptation of giving in to the voice and doing as it said.  
  
He tried not to allow this deep fear to show on his own face though as he once again looked into Ron's eyes and smiled as well, further dissipating the tension that had built up.  
  
"You're right you know, you do tend to jump to conclusions" he said as he continued smiling, trying to break down some of the tension.  
  
"Yeah, I know. Could you answer a couple of questions for me though Harry, if you don't mind" he asked hesitantly. Harry, figuring it was best to do so now that he was wide awake rather than later, nodded his head and Ron asked his first question.  
  
"Who else knows about the dark mark?"  
  
"Besides you, Ginny does, and Remus, Sirius, Snape, and Dumbledore found out when they came to get me out of the hospital, but other than that, only Madame Pomfrey" he answered  
  
"So I take it that that is what Remus was trying to tell us that night in the hospital wing then," he muttered to himself, and again Harry nodded, Ginny had told him about Ron and Hermione's reactions that night and he knew that Remus had not gotten another opportunity to speak to them about it.  
  
"Why didn't you just curse them all or put some sort of shield up around yourself so that they couldn't come near you, obviously you were able to do wandless magic already since you banished Malfoy like you did" he said, somewhat hesitantly as though he didn't think Harry would answer him, and was shocked when he did.  
  
"Well, once they realized I was alive, they first locked me in a small room for several days until they came up with something to so with me. Voldemort knew that I was able to do magic without a wand so he made those chains that you saw, the ones that were around my wrists, and the first time I lost consciousness from the cruciatus curse, they put them on me. Those chains somehow bound my magic and I couldn't even do the most simple spells as long as they were around my wrists, which they always were except for that one time and the time I escaped" he explained much like a professor would to a student.  
  
"Ok, that makes sense, I only have one more question though, where was you- know-who? You mentioned him and the death eaters acted as though he were around as well, but I didn't see him" at this question, Harry paled almost immediately, so Ron hastily spoke up "If you don't want to answer me, you don't have to"  
  
"No, it's all right." Harry said quickly as he collected his thoughts "When Voldemort hit me with the killing curse, which, by the way he did, he was once again banished from his body like the first time he tried to kill me. When I transported the death eaters to that chamber, I took his essence with us. Throughout the next weeks, he moved from one of his followers to another to stay alive, or as alive as he could be. The night they gave me the mark, he was in the body of the man who was giving Malfoy his orders. He began using to bodies of his lower ranking death eaters first so that if they managed to escape he would still have his most loyal followers alive. You see, when Voldemort inhabited someone else's body, his power was too strong and he overpowered the person. Because of this power surge, so to speak, the persons body was only able to support Voldemort for a couple of hours or a week at the most, depending on how powerful the person was, but when the body died and he moved on to another of his followers. So you see, he was there the entire time, just with a different face" he explained grimly  
  
"So you're saying that you-know-who killed all of his own followers?" asked Ron in amazement and Harry nodded "So what happened when he ran out of death eaters?"  
  
"I escaped" Harry said simply and at Ron's blank look, he elaborated "I'd rather not tell you how, but I will tell you this, it wasn't very pleasant. The only thing I remember after that is apparating to an alley behind the hospital and walking in. After that, the next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital and you know the rest" he finished in the same distant tone that he had spoken in the entire time he had been talking. Harry couldn't explain why, but he felt slightly relieved to be getting all of this out into the open so at least one other person knew the truth, although he was leaving many things out intentionally, not ready to tell anyone about certain events just yet, but to get even this small amount out lifted a tremendous weight off his shoulders.  
  
"Are you going to tell Hermione?"  
  
"I was going to see if you would mind telling her, I don't quite know how to explain something like this" Harry admitted sheepishly to his best friend  
  
Ron smiled grimly before he agreed to tell his girlfriend in the morning. With that said, the two boys bid each other a good night and lie back down in their respective beds and fell into their own thoughts.  
  
Harry was thinking about how he would tell all of this and parts he had left out to his godfather and headmaster in the morning, and remembering the look of terror on his best friends face. He sighed heavily, he didn't want anyone to have to see those things, but, perhaps it was for the best, Ron couldn't ignore the truth and hopefully if others found out he would back Harry up when he tried to explain.  
  
Ron was thinking about the nightmares that would undoubtedly be plaguing his sleep for weeks to come, and he knew with certainty that no matter how bad his nightmares were, Harry's were bound to be much more terrible. Ron had only seen the events of less than an hour, and Harry had been in that chamber for three months before he escaped. There was no telling what other horrors he had been forced to endure, and would now be forced to relive in his sleep. He then contemplated just how he would go about telling Hermione what he had witnessed, and he hoped he could convince Ginny to listen to his tale as well, if to accomplish nothing other than to give his little sister a small idea about just what had happened to her boyfriend.  
  
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The next morning, Harry was awoken by the sounds of Hedwig hooting softly to him from his bed side table. As he rubbed his tired eyes in an attempt to rid them of the sand of sleep, he reached for his glasses and as he put them on, his world came into sharp focus, showing that Hedwig had a letter tied to her leg.  
  
"Morning Hedwig" he muttered sleepily to his snowy white owl as he untied the parchment, earning himself an affectionate nip on the finger as greeting.  
  
Settling back in his bed and pulling as many of his blankets as he could around his shivering shoulders in an attempt to ward off the permanent chill that had not relented since he woke in the hospital wing over two weeks ago. Settling for the fact that he couldn't burrow any further into the warmth of the blankets, he unrolled the parchment and smiled at reading the short note written on it.  
  
Harry,  
  
Happy Christmas Eve! We got back late last night from the ministry, so I decided to wait until morning to write you. When you get dressed, come on down to our rooms, and pack some cloths so we can spend the rest of the break together. We have a meeting with Albus immediately after breakfast, so get here as soon as possible. See you in a bit!  
  
Love, Sirius  
  
Harry couldn't help but smile even wider at his godfathers words, and he couldn't wait to spend the rest of Christmas with the closest person to a parent he had ever had. Since Harry had returned, he hadn't gone a single day without seeing his godfather, and he didn't realize until now just how much he had missed the man during the past nine days and was anxious to see him again. His anticipation over the prospect even seemed to over shadow the sense of dread that he got when he thought about the meeting with the headmaster that would follow their reunion.  
  
Scrambling out of his bed, he hurried to his trunk and pulled clean cloths from it's depths and removed his pajamas. As he was pulling on his shirt, his eyes caught sight of the tattoo on his left arm, and his thoughts were pulled back to the events of the previous night. He believed the words Ron had said, and he knew that at least he and Ginny knew the truth, but he was worried about how Hermione would react when Ron told her. He knew that she would believe what Ron told her when he said that he didn't want the mark, but he was worried that she would see him differently once she knew what had happened to him. He was afraid that she would think he was weak and needed them to look after him. He pushed these anxieties from his mind though, when the voice began to agree with him and instead concentrated on shrinking his trunk with a wave of his hand before levitating it and dropping it into his pocket. He then went to his dresser and wrote a quick note to Ron and Hermione telling them that he was with Sirius and would see them at lunch.  
  
As he pulled his heavy winter cloak over his shoulders he silently walked from his dormitory and descended the stairs into the common room where he left another note, but this one for Ginny, telling her to come to Sirius' rooms when she woke so she could go to meet Dumbledore with them. He wanted her by his side not only when he learned what Shaw had told them and what had happened to the auror but as he relived some of his most terrible memories as well. He then exited the tower and began the long journey to the staff quarters on the fourth floor.  
  
When he reached the painting of Russell Patrick, an old and humorous Irish wizard that had been responsible for discovering several modern charms, his face broke into yet another smile and he quickened his pace. Upon seeing Harry, the painting began laughing and swung open without hearing the password to reveal the familiar comforts of Sirius' quarters. Before he had even taken two steps into the room though, he was enveloped in a warm hug from his smiling godfather.  
  
"It's about time you got down here Harry, I've been waiting for ages" he exclaimed, not releasing Harry  
  
"Sorry Sirius, but could you let me go, I can't breath" Harry gasped into the older man's robes and was relieved when he was released.  
  
"Oops, I guess I'm just a little happy to see that you are still in one piece" he said sheepishly  
  
"That's alright, I'm happy to see you too" admitted Harry.  
  
"So, are you ready for some breakfast? You're still way too thin. The headmaster said we could eat here instead of going to the great hall"  
  
"Sure, I'm starving" answered Harry as he followed Sirius into the living room and joined him at a table that was laden with just about every type of food one person could ever want.  
  
The pair ate large amounts of the delicious food and chatted lightly about various topics, both skirting around the topic of the trial. Over an hour later, there was a knock at the door and Harry stood and opened the door to reveal Ginny and Remus on the other side, both grinning widely. Remus entered first and gave Harry a much gentler hug than Sirius had before taking a seat in front of the fire. Ginny then entered and gave Harry a hesitant smile as she took his hand in hers. He pulled her into a hug and whispered into her ear so that the two men couldn't overhear his words.  
  
"I take it Ron spoke to you" he said  
  
"Yes, he told Hermione and I first thing" she admitted, and Harry just nodded his head as he released her and led her over to the couch in front of the fire where he sat down and pulled her into his arms beside him. They sat there in silence for a long time, Harry just starring into the fire and Ginny thinking about the conversation she had just had with her brother and his girlfriend.  
  
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When she had entered the common room that morning, she had seen the note Harry had left for her and was on her way out the portrait hole when Ron saw her and asked her to wait a moment while he went and woke Hermione. His serious tone caused her to obey and she turned and sat herself on one of the arm chairs and waited for a few minutes until Ron came back down followed by Hermione who looked like she was just as confused as Ginny. They both sat down in arm chairs as well and Hermione was the first to speak.  
  
"Ron, what's going on, you look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders" she said as she gripped his hand in concern.  
  
"Hermione, there's something I have to tell you and you're not going to like it, neither are you Gin" he said as he lowered his head and closed his eyes for a moment. Ginny and Hermione met each others' eyes before Ron spoke again.  
  
"Last night when I went up to the dormitory, Harry was having a nightmare. I didn't even think about it before I did it, but I grabbed his shoulder to wake him up and some how I got pulled into his nightmare" he said  
  
"What do you mean you got pulled into it?" asked Hermione, confused for one of the first times in her life  
  
"It was like I was watching everything that was happening, I could see and hear everything, but they couldn't see me" he said, as though that explained everything  
  
"Slow down Ron, what could you see" asked Hermione patiently  
  
"It was Harry, surrounded by death eaters. It looked like they had been torturing him for a while already and one of them told him that they were going to mark him. When they tried to though, he sent Malfoy flying into some of the other death eaters. They were angry to say the least, so they started torturing him again, using the cruciatus curse first then Malfoy started using his wand like a blade, cutting him all over. That's when he got that one scar on his face. They were all laughing and having a great time during it all. By then he was way too weak to fight back and Malfoy burned the dark mark on his arm" he said all of this without meeting either of the girls eyes or taking a single breath, and when he did look up, he was met with Ginny's stony gaze and Hermione's tear filled one.  
  
"Those bastards" Ginny said with anger filling her voice "It's not enough to just give him their retched mark, but they had to torture him when he tried to refuse it"  
  
"He has the dark mark?" asked Hermione, obviously still not comprehending what her boyfriend had just told her  
  
"Yes, that's what Remus was trying to tell us after the duel" explained Ron "they didn't want us to just see it by chance"  
  
Hermione then looked at Ginny "So you knew?"  
  
"Only since then. He was so ashamed of it that he never told me himself"  
  
"Why was he ashamed of it? It's not like he asked to be marked as a death eater" protested Hermione "we are his best friends, he should have told us"  
  
"Yeah Hermione, that's a conversation that is sure to happen 'hey guys, guess what, I have the dark mark tattooed on my arm, but don't worry, I'm not a death eater' he could have told us right after we accused him of being a dark wizard after he cursed me" said Ron sarcastically as he looked accusingly at Hermione  
  
"Hermione, he was ashamed enough about his other injuries, hell, he couldn't even use his arm or one of his legs properly until Madame Pomfrey healed them for good when he was unconscious from that poison. There's no way he would have willingly added this to the mix. Could you imagine the reaction of the rest of the school if they found out" said Ginny forcefully  
  
"You two are right, I guess there was no way he would tell us this willingly" she said as she sighed heavily "I just wish he didn't have to go through all of this, he's been through enough already" she muttered under her breath, but not quiet enough to keep Ginny from hearing.  
  
"Hermione, the last thing he wants is to be treated differently because of this, treat him just like you always have" she insisted of the two older students "I have to go, Harry wants me to meet him in Sirius' rooms to find out about the trial" she said as she got to her feet and left the couple behind and set out on her way for the fourth floor.  
  
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A/N: Here you go guys! Hope you enjoyed this and just so you know, I already have the next two chapters typed, so if I get some good reviews, I'll post them soon. Thanks for reviewing the last chapter! I guess I'll warn you though, you might hate me after you read the next chapter, but I promise everything will work out eventually! I need your opinions though, I'm almost to a very good breaking point where I could stop this story and continue everything in a sequel because there will still be some very big unresolved issues. If I do that, there will be about six or seven more chapters before the end of this story and the sequel would be just as long, twenty-thirty plus chapters depending on how long they are, or I could just continue here and have the longest fanfic in the world toping sixty chapters. Regardless, this story will continue at the same pace I have been going, so let me know what you think! And please review this chapter as well. 


	28. The Bitter Facts

Chapter 28  
  
After sitting around the fire for about thirty minutes, the door opened and Albus Dumbledore entered the small room with Severus Snape on his heels.  
  
"Good morning" he said cheerfully as he settled on the couch opposite Harry and Ginny and Snape remained standing beside the fire "I trust you are curious about the occurrences at the ministry Harry"  
  
"Yes sir, I am" answered Harry  
  
"Well, I shall allow your professors to tell you two what they know before I give my opinion on the matters. Sirius, would you like to begin?"  
  
"Certainly headmaster, Harry, before the ministry officials gave Shaw vertiserum" he began "we wanted to find out his opinions on some things that he would not have been able to give if he were under the influence of a potion. According to him, there are still at least a hundred death eaters that were not present at the battle last year. Apparently Voldemort wanted to make sure he would still have loyal followers just in case they lost the battle, but the one thing he hadn't counted on was being destroyed himself. Because of their master being destroyed, they are a little upset to say the least, so you need to be sure to watch your back, because there is no doubt that they will come after you to avenge their masters death" he paused here and looked to Remus who picked up the explanation.  
  
"The worst part about these death eaters is that they only know a handful of their fellow followers so he was only able to give us about five other names, and none of those were the wizards true names so we were unable to find them. Apparently they each have a name that they call each other and the name that the rest of the world knows them as. Another advantage they have on us is that they don't have the traditional dark mark. The mark that the other death eaters have is permanent and visible at all times, although it becomes black whenever they are near the dark lord or summoned to him and it lightens up to look like a scar when it is not active, but it is still plainly visible. Do you understand?" he asked the two students as he would in classes, and they both nodded "Well, these death eaters have the same mark in the same place, but when they are not in the presence of Voldemort or being summoned, it disappears completely, making it impossible to prove that they are death eaters at all since you can't see the mark" he explained.  
  
Upon hearing this, Harry let out a loud groan "So you're saying that we won't be able to identify any more death eaters until they try to kill me or someone else?" he asked no one in particular and it was surprisingly who answered him.  
  
"Not quite Potter, there is something else that can help us, but we need to know the truth about what happened to Voldemort" he said, but his face was missing its usual smirk.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Harry even though he had a pretty good idea already, he just needed someone to voice it.  
  
"Harry, Mr. Shaw said something quite disturbing and Severus here agreed with him. Apparently after Shaw stabbed you and you were standing over him, his dark mark began to burn and it became visible. At the same time, Severus' turned black like it did when he was in the company of Voldemort. We need you to tell us what happened to him" said Dumbledore as he kept his crystal blue eyes focused on the younger boy, with none of the normal twinkle present.  
  
Harry let out a deep breath he didn't even realize he had been holding before he looked down to Ginny who looked concerned but just her being present gave him strength to say what he was about to say, to tell them all just what had happened to the most evil wizard the world had seen in a long time.  
  
"Like I explained to Ron last night, when Voldemort hit me with the killing curse it did the same thing it did last time, reflected off of me and hit him. Again his body was destroyed and he was left as a spirit.  
  
When we got to the chamber, the first thing he did was to take control of his lowest death eaters' body. He continued to move from one follower to another, leaving as soon as he killed the person. He used his lowest ranking followers first, but none of them lasted much longer than a day before his power overwhelmed them and they were killed."  
  
"What do you mean his power overwhelmed them? He was able to live in Quirrell's body for almost nine months without it harming him?" asked Snape, truly curious and not at all sarcastic.  
  
"I was just about to explain that professor. You see, Voldemort wasn't willing to merely live in another persons body this time, like he did with Quirrell, instead, he wanted to be in complete control of the person and their powers, but he wanted to be able to use his powers as well and as long as the person fought him with their own power they could live, but the second their magical energy was exhausted, his power was too strong and it killed the persons body, the lower levels of power the person had, the quicker they died."  
  
"So you're saying that he only had control of the person as long as their power was strong enough to fight his, but as soon as the person stopped fighting his power they died? So the higher ranking death eaters were able to survive longer than the lower ones?" asked Remus  
  
"That's exactly right Remus. The last person he used was Lucius Malfoy, and he was able to survive for almost three weeks before his power was almost exhausted. When Voldemort figured out that he was about to die, he released the chains that were on my wrists binding my magic so that he could inhabit my body. He wouldn't have been able to do anything if he had left the chains on because they prevented me from doing any magic what so ever, so he had to release me from the chains before he took control of me. He thought that I was too weak from the injuries that I had received to fight him, but he was wrong" he said with a grim smile on his face, causing the curiosity of the others to increase greatly.  
  
"As soon as I was free, I began to fight him while he was still in Malfoy's body, but it only took a couple of minutes before Malfoy died and Voldemort was free. He had been drawing energy from Malfoy for far to long and the man was only able to stand up to a couple curses before he stopped fighting Voldemort's control and died, releasing Voldemort's spirit once again" he paused for a moment and surveyed everyone in the room as though trying to decide if he wanted to tell them what he was about to reveal. He then decided that they all needed to know so he lowered his head and took a hold of his cloak in his hands and he moved slightly away from Ginny. He took several deep breaths before he began talking again, but now his voice was barley above that of a whisper and all present had to strain to hear his words.  
  
"How was I supposed to fight a spirit?" he swallowed hard and took another deep breath, never lifting his gaze from his hands.  
  
"I tried but I couldn't prevent him from taking control of me as well, I tried, I really did but I was too weak to fight him, and he was to strong for me to win even if I had had enough energy to fight back" he paused again and took a shuddering breath, looking at his hands which were constantly tangling themselves in his cloak as they had been doing since he began the worst part of his tale, not willing to meet anyone's gaze afraid of what he would see I their eyes.  
  
"I don't know how, but once he was inside of me, I managed to control him somehow so he couldn't escape or take control of my actions, but I wasn't able to destroy him completely, and if I were to die he would once again be free to find another host. Once I had him trapped, I used the last bit of energy I had to apparate to the alley behind the muggle hospital in London. I had no idea what the reactions of any wizards or witches who found me would be, especially if they saw the dark mark on my arm, they would have probably killed me on the spot and unknowingly released him without realizing what they were doing, so I decided to go to a muggle town to be safe. So far I have been able to control him but he still tries to tempt me to do things or believe things that would weaken me"  
  
"What do you mean he tries to tempt you?" asked Remus  
  
"While I was dueling Shaw, he was trying to convince me to cast the killing curse on him and when I didn't he was able to cast a spell or something. I can't explain how, but whatever he did felt about ten times worse than the cruciatus curse. He hasn't been able to cast any spells or anything like that before, and since he can now I'm worried that he is either getting stronger or I'm getting weaker. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to control him or not give into his suggestions" he finished heavily, just now daring to look into Dumbledore's eyes.  
  
What he saw frightened him more than he thought possible. The normally kind eyes were hard as steel and there was an auror of power surrounding the old man the likes of which Harry had only seen twice before, when he had discovered Crouch Jr. was impersonating Moody during his fourth year and when Voldemort had attacked the castle.  
  
Harry was frightened of this normally kind man for the first time in his life, he couldn't read his expression at all or tell exactly what had caused it and that was what frightened him the most. His gaze was fixed on Harry, but it didn't seem as though he were looking at the boy, but rather inside of him, straight at what was left of Voldemort. Finally though, the silence was broken by Sirius.  
  
"Harry, are you saying that you-know-who has been inside of you since you returned?" he asked as though he couldn't believe what his godson had just told them.  
  
Harry could only nod his head as he continued to stare at his hands. He hadn't noticed it before, but during the course of his explanation, he had not only released Ginny from his arms but moved as far away from her as possible as though he were ashamed of himself and didn't feel worthy of her affection. She had been too shocked by what he was saying to react until now and she tentatively tried to take his hand, but he pulled back and scooted further away from her.  
  
"Can't you release whatever you are confining him with so he leaves?" asked Sirius  
  
"No Sirius, if I do that then he will be free to look for someone else to live in and try again to get his body back" he explained again in an expressionless tone, still not meeting any ones eyes. He knew they were all in a state of shock right now and needed him to assure them that what he had said was indeed the truth.  
  
"That explains the dark mark coming back when you were dueling with Shaw, is it safe to assume that he only spoke to you when you were dueling with him?" asked Remus  
  
Harry nodded again and now the headmaster spoke up.  
  
"Harry, how often does Voldemort speak to you?" he asked in a cold tone.  
  
"Before the duel, I only heard it a couple of times and then I still couldn't remember anything that had happened, so I couldn't figure out just who the voice belonged to. I thought that it was just my subconscious talking. I had been unconsciously keeping him locked away until then and he was still very weak so it didn't take much energy. After the duel though, everything came back to me, I have nightmares about it every night and also since that day he talks to me almost constantly. He seems to be able to tell when I doubt myself or feeling unsure about something and it is those times that he is the loudest and most demanding. Something happened during the duel that triggered him to become so much stronger, but I don't know what" he explained.  
  
"What kinds of things does he say to you Harry?" asked the headmaster and Harry could sense the more gentle edge his voice had taken  
  
"Things to try and make me doubt my friends, myself" he said quietly  
  
"Could you please elaborate Harry" pleaded the old man, willing the boy to tell them what he had been hearing.  
  
"Right now he is saying that you all believe I am evil and will not let me around any other students because you'll be afraid for their safety. He's saying that Ginny will break up with me and Sirius and Remus will not want anything to do with me because I disgrace the memory of their best friend because of my weakness and that I will be expelled and sent to Azkaban. He's saying that none of you believe that he doesn't have control of me and that it will only be a matter of time before he does, and that when the rest of the wizarding world finds out about this and sees the dark mark on my arm that they will shun me and press for the kiss to be administered, among other things" he said in a steady and unwavering voice void of all emotion.  
  
He heard Snape mutter something crude under his breath and Ginny try to muffle a sob. He heard Dumbledore exhale softly and Sirius growl like a dog as he struck the arm of his chair with his fist, but he was still unwilling to look at any of them and instead focused his gaze deep into the heart of the roaring fire in front of him. After several moments of tense silence, the aged headmaster spoke.  
  
"Harry, I can assure you that you will not be expelled from this school, and I for one do not believe you are evil, nor do I believe that Voldemort has taken control of you. I will not let this information get to anyone outside of this room so you needn't worry about the reactions of anyone else right now. As far as I can see, you are the only person strong enough to keep control of Voldemort and until we can find a way to destroy him I must ask you to continue to control him. I know it is probably difficult to do, but try to ignore what he tells you, they are just lies that he is trying to use to manipulate you and get you to give up hope and surrender to his will. I am sorry that you must endure this, and I will begin searching immediately for a way to destroy him, until then though, I must ask you to be careful and come see me if you have any questions. I'll keep in touch with what I find. When you are finished with breakfast tomorrow Harry, could you please come up to my office, there are some things I believe it is time you found out" he finished and Harry nodded as he felt him stand up and heard him depart through the door before Snape spoke up with his own words of encouragement.  
  
"Potter, I know we haven't always gotten along, but I agree with what Albus said completely, you are far from evil and I know you have the strength to fight this. I'll do what I can to help him with his search. Don't worry about endangering the rest of the school, if he does ever manage to beat you, which I am positive will never occur, my own mark will return fully and I will be able to warn the headmaster. You just worry about trying to come up with a way to loose gracefully to the Slytherin quidditch team in two weeks" said the potions master as he too went out the door. Had he said those things under any other circumstances, Harry would have been completely shocked, but right now his words just rang upon deaf ears.  
  
Remus was the next one to speak and his words were spoken with heartfelt truth as well "Harry, you are the strongest wizard I have ever know, not just magically but also in character. If anyone can survive this, it's you. All of us will look for a way to destroy him, but like Albus said, until we do, you need to fight him. Whatever he says he is just saying to try to get you to give up and you can't do that. Stay strong and you'll get through this just like you got through everything else. I would never turn my back on you, not only are you the son of one of my best friends, but you are also an amazing person and you must believe that I will support you no matter what happens" he said to the boy before turning to his best friend "Padfoot, I've got an idea to check into, meet me in our classroom when you get done. I'll see you two at dinner" he said to Ginny and Harry as he went out the door, leaving only them and Sirius behind.  
  
Sirius stood from his chair and made his way over to his godson, kneeling on the floor so that he was looking up into the trouble filled green eyes.  
  
"Hey Harry, you remember what we talked about in the hospital wing? When you told me that I was the best person for the job of your godfather? I didn't believe that until you told me yourself, and I ask you to believe me now. We will find a way to beat this and until we do we will not turn away from you, no matter what. We know you will never willingly give into him, you just have to believe that yourself. You have never, and will never, be a disgrace to James and Lily, they would both be so proud of the person you have become and all that you have accomplished, never forget that" he said, never taking his blue eyes from Harry's green ones. "I'm going to go help Remus now; I'll leave you and Ginny here for as long as you need to talk. Come on up to the defense room when you get done" he said as he stood up and grabbed his own cloak before leaving the room himself.  
  
Once he left the young couple behind, there was silence in the room for several minutes before Ginny spoke up hesitantly "Harry, look at me" she said and when he didn't comply she took his chin in her hand and gently turned his face to hers "Harry, you heard what all of them said and you know as well as I do that they were telling the truth. I will never leave you, please believe this. You risked your life on two separate occasions to save mine, even getting hit by the killing curse for me. I love you for that and so much more. I love you for your selflessness, and your kind heart and just for being you. Please believe that, I love you and would never leave you" she said while tears streamed down her cheeks. When she finished he couldn't help but give her a small smile as he raised his hand to her face and gently wiped the tears from her pale cheek.  
  
"I love you too Gin, I always will. Thank you" he said as he pulled her close to him and met her lips in a gentle but loving kiss that lasted until the need for oxygen over took them both and they separated and settled in each others arms in front of the fire. Nothing else needed to be said by either one, they were both content to just be in the others arms in front of the warm fire.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The rest of the day was spent searching through every ancient book imaginable that any of those involved in the project thought might help them find a way to destroy Voldemort's spirit once Harry released it from its prison in his mind. They already knew that the simple killing curse was unsuccessful, so they were searching through the long forgotten magic that might hold the answer to their current problem. Nobody spoke much to one another, but it was obvious that they were all desperate for a cure to be found. They had silently decided not to tell anyone who had not been present at the meeting what was going on, including Ron and Hermione. Harry was glad to at least have a few people know the truth though, and he began to act more like the seventeen year old boy that he was when he was with his girlfriend and godfather while they were searching and during dinner, and he was anxious for Christmas morning.  
  
He had decided to spend the night in Sirius' rooms, but over dinner he made Ginny, Ron, and Hermione all promise that they would bring their gifts to Sirius' rooms to open them so that they could be together while they celebrated Christmas along with Sirius and Remus. He went to bed that night without having to worry about the voice of Voldemort trying to convince him to do or believe terrible things, because he was now sure that what the man said was indeed a lie, his friends and family would always stand by his side, no matter what happened. That was how he saw not only Sirius now, but Remus as well, as his family, the first he had ever had. For the first time in his life he felt secure in that knowledge. It would only be a matter of time now before they found a way to destroy Voldemort for good, after all, he had the most powerful wizard in the world, the only man able to infiltrate Voldemort's inner circle as a spy, the best auror ever to fight death eaters, and the best defense against the dark arts professor in Hogwarts history all searching for a way to get rid of Voldemort along with Ginny and himself. How long could it possibly take before they won this battle once and for all?  
  
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A/N: Ok, does that explain everything now? If not, leave your questions in a review and I'll answer them in the next chapter. I know this chapter was a little dark and a little sappy, but it lays the foundation for what is to come, just remember what Snape said about his dark mark coming back if Voldemort ever got control, it will be important. Enough of that, hope you enjoy and please remember to review! 


	29. Christmas and Future Plans

Chapter 29  
  
The next morning, Harry awoke to the sound of laughter coming from the living room bright and early. Curious, he got out of bed and pulled his robes over his pajamas and his cloak over that before he grabbed one of the several blankets off of his bed and wrapped it around his shoulders as well and set off into the living room. What he saw when he entered though made him wish he had just stayed in bed. Hermione had her wand aimed at a bundle of mistletoe that was in the air above her and Ron who were kissing, seemingly completely oblivious to the rest of the occupants in the room who were all laughing at Ron's hair, which had green stripes through it, making him look more than a little strange. When Harry saw his best friends' hair, he began to laugh as well, alerting Ginny, Remus, and Sirius to his presence. Ginny motioned for him to come sit next to her and as soon as he was seated on the floor, she gave him a tight hug, and deciding to make the best of the situation, he removed his arm from the embrace and with a wave of his hand they were now the ones sitting beneath the mistletoe.  
  
"I think you owe me a Christmas kiss" he said accusingly and at seeing Ginny's baffled expression he pointed up at the floating leaves and berries and she smiled widely and leaned in and rewarded him with a quick kiss before she settled back again and threw a well aimed gift at Ron's head.  
  
"Hey you two, are you planning on stopping long enough to open gifts this morning?" she said to the pair who had broken apart as soon as Ron was hit with Ginny's gift. Both blushing madly, they settled on the floor and began to open the gifts that Ginny had given them, from the Weasley parents.  
  
"Hey Ron, should I even dare to ask what happened to your hair?" asked Harry as he pulled his gift onto his lap.  
  
"Lets just say he made the mistake of eating something Fred and George sent him this morning" explained Hermione as she glanced at her boyfriend "His hair should be back to normal by tomorrow though"  
  
Harry laughed again before he too began to open his gifts. All four students received the traditional Weasley jumper as well as delicious baked goods and Harry immediately pulled his sweater on over his pajamas before bundling back up in his robe, cloak, and blanket. He missed the worried look that Remus and Sirius sent each other while he was doing this and when he looked back up their faces were once again smiling widely at the collection of prank items that Fred and George had sent the younger students.  
  
Harry had received a letter from the twins as well informing him that they had deposited a portion of their earnings in his vault after they had decided to make him a full time partner due to his generous contribution and telling him to be sure to use the pranks well so they would not be disappointed. Hermione had gotten both he and Ron a book on the most advanced hexes and curses known as well as their very own copies of Hogwarts: A History, which caused both boys to burst out in fresh waves of laughter since they nearly knew the book by heart due to her quoting it on a quite regular basis. From Remus and Sirius, Harry received a trunk full of items that had belonged to his parents that they recommended he sort through after they finished opening the other gifts.  
  
Harry had given both of them a copy of some of the photos that Hagrid had given him during his first year as well as several of himself and his friends and some of the three of them that Colin had taken during the previous year. He had gathered all of the photos together in simple yet beautiful photo albums with their names engraved on the front and the date. Both men looked touched by the gifts and spent the rest of the morning looking lovingly at the photos.  
  
Ron had given Harry a book on quidditch plays and tactics and Harry had given him a book entitled 1001 Legal Moves for a Keeper since he had joined the team during their fifth year and had become a terrific keeper. For Hermione, he had gotten a photo of the three of them from their first year that he found in the bottom of his trunk and put it in a delicate frame with their names written across the top and the words friends forever on the bottom. She had cried when she saw it and launched herself across the floor to give him a bone crushing hug as thanks, which caused even more laughter from the others. Just as she released him, a large brown owl came through the open window and dropped a box on the floor in front of Harry and held out its leg so he could remove the letter tied there before flying off again. They all looked at him curiously as he read the letter before looking at the box nervously.  
  
"Who's it from Harry?" asked Sirius  
  
"Hagrid, he says its name is Sherlock" he said as he continued to stare at the box  
  
"What exactly is Sherlock?" asked Ginny as she too suspiciously looked at the box  
  
"He doesn't say, he just wrote to have a happy Christmas. Do you think I should open it?" he asked the others present in the room.  
  
"Surely Hagrid wouldn't send you anything dangerous, would he?" asked Hermione with apprehension  
  
"Hermione, this is Hagrid we're talking about here, remember, the man who had us buy biting books" answered Ron as though he couldn't believe she would say such a thing.  
  
"Well, we can't just sit here all day and look at the box. Open it Harry, it can't be that bad" said Sirius as he inched toward the box at the same time everyone but Harry moved away from it.  
  
"If you are so sure of it, why don't you open it then" he demanded of his godfather  
  
"But it's your gift, not mine" he said, but his eyes were still focused on the box longingly  
  
"Come on Sirius, you know you want to open it, and I won't mind, so go ahead" said Harry as he too backed away from the box, leaving Sirius alone in the middle of the room with it.  
  
"All right, I'll open it, but only because I don't think it's right to leave it in the box" relented Sirius and he hesitantly grasped the lid of the box and slowly opened it as he peered inside its dark depths.  
  
"Well Padfoot, what is it?" asked Remus curiously after several silent moments  
  
"I can't tell, it's too dark" said the black haired man as he dropped the lid and picked up the box and brought it closer to his face so he could see inside of it. "It looks like, OH MY GOD" he screamed as he fell and landed on his back, sending something bright green sailing through the air before it landed heavily on his stomach where it sat as though in a daze, starring down at the man he was lying on for several minutes before it began to slither up toward his face slowly. Through clenched teeth he managed to spit out three words. "Snake.Harry.move"  
  
Upon realizing just what the box held, Harry scrambled to his feet and hurried to his godfathers side where he knelt cautiously, getting the attention of the snake who began to move toward him instead, its' sharp fangs exposed as it prepared to strike through its' hissing. Harry immediately began to hiss back to the snake.  
  
Hello, please don't bite anyone, we mean you no harm Harry told the snake, who stopped its advance as soon as he heard Harry speaking to it.  
  
You can speak our tongue asked the snake in amazement  
  
Yes, my name is Harry he answered  
  
Why was I trapped it that box and then thrown through the air? asked the snake angrily as it began to coil it's self up on Sirius' chest  
  
Because my friend sent you to me, but my godfather, who you're sitting on, was a little startled to see a snake in the box he was holding and tripped Harry explained  
  
Oh, well I won't bite your friends was all that the snake said  
  
Just then, the voice of Sirius interrupted their conversation and both Harry and the snake turned to look at him.  
  
"Um, Harry, do you think you could ask him to get off" he asked hesitantly, as though he were afraid of the snake biting him.  
  
"Sorry Sirius, I will" he said before turning back to the snake  
  
Would you like to come with me, so Sirius there can start breathing again he asked the serpent with a grin  
  
Yes answered the snake and Harry out his arm out for the snake and he wrapped himself securely around it and allowed Harry to take his first good look at his new pet. The snake was only about eight inches long with solid black eyes and emerald green scales, the same color as Harry's eyes.  
  
Do you have a name? asked Harry curiously  
  
No, but would you give me one?  
  
Well, my friend who sent you said to call you Sherlock, how is that?  
  
I like it answered the snake  
  
Harry then turned his attention back to the others in the room who were all looking at him in amazement. They all knew he was a parselmouth of course, but none of them had ever heard him hold an entire conversation with a snake before and the sound of the strange hissing had them all transfixed.  
  
"Guys, this is Sherlock" he introduced them all to his snake with a wide grin on his face "Don't worry, he won't hurt you" he said as he tried to reassure his friends.  
  
"Are you sure Harry? I've read about this kind of snake before, their bite will render a full grown wizard unconscious within thirty seconds of it's bite and they will stay that way until a parseltongue gives them a drop of their blood mixed with the venom of the snake that bit them" said Hermione worriedly as she starred at the green serpent.  
  
"Don't worry Hermione, he won't bite anyone unless I tell him to" said Harry in an attempt to calm his friends worries.  
  
"If you say so Harry, but if that thing bites me you had better start bleeding pretty quickly" threatened Sirius as he sat down, on the opposite side of the group from Harry who just grinned at the older man.  
  
The group continued to open their gifts until there were only four left. Hermione was the first to give Ron her gift, which turned out to be a set of season passes to the Chudley Cannons for the following year. He was ecstatic and grabbed her and spun her around the room.  
  
"Thank you thank you thank you!" he said as they spun in a circle.  
  
"Your welcome Ron, but I think you're trying to make me sick, could we please stop spinning" said Hermione as she laughed, happy that he had liked her gift. Laughing himself, he allowed her to sit back down as he handed her his gift.  
  
As she began to unwrap to box, his face was steadily beginning to turn bright red, anxious to see how she would like the gift. She opened the small black box to reveal a thin gold chain with a beautiful heart shaped pendant hanging from it. The sight of it caused her to break into tears for the second time that morning.  
  
"Oh Ron, it's the best necklace I've ever seen" she said through her tears "Would you put it on for me?" she asked and his face broke into a smile as he slipped the chain around her neck and his face returned to its normal color.  
  
When they had finished, all eyes turned on Harry and Ginny.  
  
Ginny smiled as she handed Harry his gift which was a large box. Curious, he removed the gold paper and lifted the lid to reveal the most beautiful cloak he had ever seen.  
  
"Ginny I love it!" he exclaimed as he removed his black cloak.  
  
Dropping the empty box on the ground, he stood and drew the new cloak around his shoulders. It was a brilliant scarlet color trimmed in fine gold and quite thick. Instead of the traditional clasp to hold it closed, it had a beautiful red and gold jeweled phoenix with its wings outstretched in flight. As he fastened the clasp, he pulled Ginny to her feet and wrapped his arms around her thin frame, both of them ignoring the snake who poked his head out from the sleeve of his robe.  
  
"Thank you so much Ginny, it's the most beautiful cloak I have ever seen" he whispered in her ear, causing her to giggle.  
  
"I'm glad you like it Harry, Happy Christmas" she whispered back  
  
When he released her a moment later, they both settled back on the floor and he drew a small box from the pocket of his robes and handed it over to her, his face beginning to flush almost as much as Ron's had as she slowly lifted the lid.  
  
"Oh my" she whispered as she looked to Harry, her brown eyes wide.  
  
"It's a promise ring" he explained hesitantly "so you won't forget about me after I graduate"  
  
"Oh Harry, I love it!" she exclaimed as he removed it from the box and took her left hand in his.  
  
"So you'll wear it?" he asked before he put it on  
  
"Of course I'll wear it!" she said as she looked in his eyes and smiled  
  
Smiling back, he slipped it on her ring finger and she held it out for everyone else to see. It was a simple gold band with alternating diamonds and emeralds embedded in the metal.  
  
"Harry, Ron, I'm impressed" remarked Sirius "You two actually have decent taste in jewelry, unlike James, the engagement ring he was going to get for Lily was terrible, huge and gaudy, luckily Moony and I knocked some sense into him before she had to" he said with a smirk on his face as he looked to Remus who was also grinning at the memory.  
  
Harry could only smile as he looked to Ron. During the last Hogesmede weekend, the two of them had spent nearly an hour in the jewelry store looking for just the right thing to get Hermione and Ginny, and after consulting with the shop owner to get her opinion they had settled on their gifts, but neither were going to tell the two marauders or their girlfriends the truth.  
  
After all of the gifts had been opened, all but Harry and Sirius went off in the directions of their respective rooms to get ready for the Christmas feast which would start in an hour. Harry gathered up his gifts and put them all in his room before he moved the trunk from Remus and Sirius in there and settled on the floor in front of it as he allowed Sherlock to slither off of his arm and onto the floor next to him. With trembling hands, he lifted the brass latch and raised the heavy lid to see what was inside.  
  
The first thing he saw was a pair of wands, one dark and one light, but both in terrific condition, as though they had last been used yesterday instead of sixteen years ago. Longingly, he rubbed his hands over the wands before removing them and placing them gently on the bed. The next thing he found was a small wooden box, and when he opened it he saw a pair of gold rings, each with a name engraved on the inside of the band. The larger of the pair said 'To James~with all my love~Lily' and the smaller said To Lily~with all my love~James' those words brought tears to Harry's eyes, but for once he didn't brush them away, but let them remain as he closed the box and set it too on his bed. After that, he removed several photo albums of his parents with their friends during their Hogwarts years, one filled with wedding photos, and one filled with pictures of him with his parents. He then found his baby book and read over the numerous entries about himself, written in two different types of handwriting, one obviously his mothers and the other most defiantly his fathers. The next pair of books in the trunk were identical journals, one with Lily written on the cover and the other with James. Deciding to wait to read them until that night, he set them aside as well and picked up the last book which caused him to smile. It was a large and thick book made of brown leather with writing in gold across the front saying 'The Famous Hogwarts Marauders Most Notable Pranks by Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs'. He decided immediately to wait to look at this particular book until he returned to the tower so that Ron, Hermione, and Ginny could join him so he put it back into the trunk and began to put the other books up as well, but he decided to leave the wands and rings out and placed them on his dresser where he could see them.  
  
Once through, he changed out of his pajamas and his new sweater from Mrs. Weasley and into his black slacks and shirt with his school robe over top. He then carefully pulled his new cloak on again and fastened the phoenix clasp at his throat to try to keep as warm as possible during the feast, gathered Sherlock and let him secure himself around his wrist, and he set out of his room and was met by Sirius waiting for him in the living room, also dressed and ready to leave. When they arrived in the great hall, they were shocked to see that they were the last to arrive, even Ron with his green and red stripped hair was already seated and filling his plate with large amounts of food. Like years past when only a small number of students had remained over the holidays, everyone was seated at one table in the middle of the hall.  
  
Besides the four Gryffindor students, there were only ten other students present, all but one younger years from other houses. The one that was their age was none other than Draco Malfoy. Harry hadn't spoken to the blonde haired Slytherin once during the entire term and hadn't even thought about what had happened to the other seventh year student. His father was now dead and his mother had refused contact with him since he had turned his back on his family in order to defend and protect Ginny, so he was now alone as well. Most of the Slytherin students were still on friendly terms with him and treated him as they always had, but his once loyal sidekicks Crabbe and Goyle had been among those fighting the other students during the battle so they had been sent to Azkaban for being death eaters.  
  
He no longer walked the halls of the school with a smirk on his face, and almost avoided students from other houses except for classes and meals, but none of them had anything against him any longer. They all saw him as an equal and an ally, since he had shown that he was loyal to the light side and not Voldemort. Right now he was seated at the end of the table opposite that of the Gryffindor students, and Harry, noticing that there were two empty seats at his end of the table approached his one time enemy.  
  
"Happy Christmas Draco" he said hesitantly once he had reached the other boys side. Draco immediately turned and faced Harry.  
  
"Same to you Harry" he replied hesitantly, his brow furrowed as though he were trying to figure out why the black haired boy was speaking to him.  
  
"Listen, I never thanked you for what you did for Ginny" said Harry as he locked his green eyes onto gray ones "it meant a lot to me and her, thanks" he said sincerely  
  
"I was only doing what I thought was right, she did nothing to him, he had no right to want to kill her" said the blonde boy as he turned back to his plate  
  
"Draco, he tried to kill you for what you did, not many people would have risked their lives for another person like that" said Harry, desperate for Draco to understand how grateful he was to him.  
  
"Well, I was willing to give my life to save hers and anyone but you would have died to save mine, seeing as you were hit with the killing curse, so it should be me thanking you, not the other way around" said Draco  
  
"All right then, we're equal" said Harry with a smile, not wanting to result to arguing on Christmas day and holding out his hand to shake the others.  
  
"Equal" agreed Draco as he took Harry's hand and shook, a smile on his face as well until he caught sight of Sherlock who was curled around Harry's wrist "Hey Harry, is that what I think it is?" he asked as he pointed at the sleeping serpent.  
  
"Oh yeah, that's Sherlock, Hagrid gave him to me for Christmas" said Harry as though having a poisonous snake coiled around your wrist was an every day occurrence.  
  
"Say Draco, would you like to eat with us?" asked Harry, draying the other boys eyes away from the snoozing snake.  
  
"Only as long as this doesn't get back to the rest of my house. Just think of what they would say if they found out I ate Christmas dinner with the captain of the rival team two weeks before the match" he said as he looked around the hall and saw the rest of the Gryffindor students who were all looking at the pair curiously.  
  
"Deal" Harry said with a laugh as he imagined the reaction of the rest of the Slytherin quidditch team if they saw this. True, all the houses were on much better terms with each other than ever before in the halls and classes, but as far as quidditch was concerned, the old rivalries were as strong as ever, especially between Gryffindor and Slytherin. With that said, Draco stood and began to walk to the other end of the table with Harry.  
  
"Hey Harry, nice cloak, who gave it to you?" asked Draco as they began to sit next to each other, Harry next to Ginny and Draco beside Remus with Ron, Hermione, and Sirius across from them.  
  
"Ginny gave it to me this morning" he said quietly so not to interrupt the conversation going on around them between Hermione and the two defense professors about what they would be learning after the holidays.  
  
When the others noticed Harry and Draco sit down though, the conversation ceased and everyone greeted the Slytherin like an old friend, all old animosity between Ron and he gone. They all had a pleasant meal and spoke of things ranging from quidditch to classes to what everyone was planning on doing following graduation.  
  
"I'm going to try to get on at the ministry, perhaps in the Accidental Magic Reversal Department or the Experimental Charms Department. But I'm going to speak to the headmaster and see if I can assist in charms classes for a year first to make sure that's what I want to do" said Hermione as she dished herself a massive helping of the chicken.  
  
"I want to go into Magical Law Enforcement as an Auror, and maybe I can convince Professor Dumbledore to let me work here as well, for next year at least, and get some training from Sirius before I apply to the academy" said Ron as he glanced shyly at the ex convict as though asking his permission.  
  
"I'd love to help you Ron!" he exclaimed "I'm honored that you would ask"  
  
"You really want to be an Auror?" asked Draco, speaking up for the first time  
  
"Always have actually. Why do seem so shocked?" asked Ron, some of the old hatred leaking through  
  
"Because I never thought we had anything in common, I guess I was wrong" said Draco with a smile on his face  
  
"Why don't you let me give you some pointers as well Draco?" asked Sirius, which caused Draco to blush as he starred open mouthed at the man for several moments before he spoke.  
  
"You wouldn't mind?" he asked, amazed that someone would offer to help him with something so important.  
  
"Not at all, I think it would be good for both of you to have someone to work with all the time since I'll still have my classes to teach. Remus and I are going to continue to teach together, but next year I'll teach the fifth, sixth, and seventh years and he'll teach the first through fourth years" he explained and Remus nodded in agreement.  
  
"Thanks, I'd appreciate any help I could get" said Draco  
  
"What about you Harry, what are you're plans for next year?" asked Hermione as she fixed her gaze on her best friend who suddenly paled at her words.  
  
"It just depends on what happens between now and then, I haven't planned that far ahead yet" he said quietly and the three other seventh years shot each other curious looks, none of them understanding his words before Draco changed the topic by asking about what the others had received for Christmas after he sensed Harry's discomfort on the topic.  
  
Ginny, Remus, and Sirius though understood perfectly. They didn't know how much longer Harry could last with Voldemort's spirit inside of him and until they found a way to destroy it his future was only planned minute by minute. He didn't have the luxury of being able to plan events nine months into the future, but what they didn't know was just how desperately wanted to be able to do so. When he had originally bought Ginny's ring, he had intended it to be an engagement ring and asking her to marry him, after she graduated of course, but since he had discovered the truth about the voice he wasn't willing to do that to her. She had already given three months to him when everyone thought he was dead, and he didn't want to do that to her again. He couldn't bring himself to ask her to marry him when he didn't know if he would be the same person when he woke up tomorrow or weather or not he would be alive in a week and until they were sure that Voldemort was gone for good and Harry was able to live his life like a normal wizard, he wouldn't ask her to make such a decision. He had no intentions of making her a widow just as he was to make her a wife.  
  
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	30. Curses and Weapons

Chapter 30  
  
After the group finished their meal, all but Harry decided to go onto the grounds for a snowball fight. Harry would have loved to join them, but he was on his way to meet the headmaster. When he arrived at the stone gargoyle, he was surprised to see the potions master waiting for him.  
  
"Professor?" asked Harry, curious about the mans presence  
  
"Harry, there is something I would like to give you" said the man, his coal black eyes fixed onto Harry, but for once, the look didn't cause Harry to squirm, instead, he was merely curious.  
  
"What is it sir?" he asked, but what he saw next caused him to back up several steps before the man noticed. Snape had pulled a dagger from the folds of his robes in a swift and fluid motion. The mere sight of the silver weapon caused Harry's mind to explode with memories and feelings that turned his insides to ice and his face to loose all of its color. Images of Shaw pulling a blade from his robes and thrusting it into his side and the pain of the weapon came first, followed by images of Malfoy and the other death eaters standing around him as they took turns controlling the blades with their wands and cutting his flesh in agonizing patterns, and lastly, the image of Wormtail approaching him with another dagger and spilling his blood so that Voldemort could be reborn. These thoughts were flying through his mind as he saw the potions master reveal the blade from the folds of his black robes. Overwhelming fear overtook all of his senses and he stumbled back even further until he felt his back press into the stone wall of the corridor.  
  
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Snape watched the boys' reaction in complete shock; he couldn't understand why he was reacting like this. He had planned on presenting Harry with the dagger that Shaw had used on him. When he had first seen the weapon after Poppy had removed it, he knew he had seen it somewhere before, but at the time he couldn't dwell on it as he was trying to figure out just what poisons had been put on the blade. It wasn't until several days later that he had sat down to research the daggers origins, and needless to say he wasn't very surprised by what he had discovered. But that was not the issue at hand, what he needed to focus on now was the boy who was cowering before him. Harry had now stopped backing away and was pressed into one of the stone walls, shaking terribly. His face was pasty white and his eyes were wide and unblinking as he starred at the weapon in Snape's hand.  
  
"Harry what's wrong?" he asked in concern as he cautiously took a step toward the frightened boy, the dagger still in his hand, which turned out to be the wrong thing to do.  
  
Harry immediately raised his hand and the dagger went sailing through the air to land with a loud clatter on the floor at the opposite end of the hall. At the same instant, Snape felt a burning pain shoot through his left forearm and he knew what was happening, Voldemort. He stopped in his tracks and starred at the boy, unsure about what the students next reaction would be, or even if it would be Harry in control of that action. Slowly, Harry's legs seemed to give out beneath his weight and he went sliding down the wall until he was sitting on the floor with his knees drawn tight to his chest and Snape could tell by watching the muscles tense up and his hands clenching into tight fists that the Gryffindor was experiencing the curse that he had spoke of the day before, the one he described as being ten times worse than the cruciatus.  
  
That response could have only been triggered when Harry refused to do something Voldemort instructed of him and Snape didn't even have to use his imagination to try and figure out just what those instructions had been. Knowing there was nothing he could do to stop the curse before Voldemort decided to relent, he spun on his heel and gave the password to the gargoyle before yelling up the stairs to the headmaster to come quick. He then turned back to Harry and saw he was still sitting in the curled position on the floor, obviously under the curse.  
  
Inwardly, he respected the boy, he knew he would not have been able to withstand the pain of such a curse without crying out, falling unconscious, or going insane after just moments of it and here was this seventeen year old boy who had been under it for close to two minutes now and was still refusing to do any of those things. He then heard the hurried footsteps of the headmaster behind him and turned to face the aged man.  
  
"What happened Severus?" he asked in concern as he began to approach the child, but a firm hand on his arm stopped his advance and he looked to the potions master curiously.  
  
"I'm not sure, I went to give him the dagger and he began to back away before he banished it. He then fell to the floor and I'm sure he is under that curse he spoke of" he said as he looked to the still tense boy before continuing "The mark is back, I'm not yet sure about who is in control, and until we know, it's probably best to keep our distance" he finished as he released the older mans arm from his grip.  
  
"I agree, how long has he been under the curse now?" said the headmaster heavily as he stood his ground  
  
"He's going on three minutes" he answered tersely  
  
"In Merlin's name, he is strong, but is he this strong?" asked the headmaster under his breath  
  
"I hope for all of our sakes he is" answered the black haired man  
  
Just then, Harry visibly relaxed and leaned against the wall panting for breath and trying to still his trembling muscles. After several moments, he opened his eyes and saw the forms of his potions professor and headmaster standing nearly twenty feet away from him, both with their wands drawn, but neither had them trained on the boy. Drawing another deep but shuddering breath, he spoke to the two men.  
  
"It's all right, it's me" he said in a hoarse voice, and both men relaxed immediately and approached him, kneeling on the floor before him.  
  
"Harry, are you ok? Do we need to send for Madame Pomfrey?" asked the headmaster as he brushed a lock of sweaty hair from his forehead much as a concerned parent would do.  
  
"No, I'll be fine, just give me a minute" said Harry as he closed his eyes again and continued to take deep steadying breaths.  
  
"Severus, could you please go get the strongest post cruciatus potion you have and bring it to my office?" asked the headmaster as he continued to sit with the boy.  
  
"Certainly Albus" he said and after shooting another concerned look at Harry he turned and made his way to the dungeons.  
  
After Severus had been gone for several minutes, Harry opened his eyes again and looked into the worried face of Dumbledore.  
  
"Harry, can you tell me what happened?" asked to old man quietly.  
  
"I was coming to see you like we had planned, but when I got here, Professor Snape was waiting for me. He said he had something to give me and then he pulled a dagger from his robes. I didn't know what was happening, I was shocked and then he started yelling in my mind, telling me that Snape was going to attack me and that I had to kill him. I tried to ignore it but the sight of that dagger combined with the words just overwhelmed me I guess, so I banished the dagger. He kept telling me to kill him and when I refused he cursed me for not doing as he had instructed of me" he explained in a quiet voice, but much steadier than his original words had been.  
  
"Harry, I can assure you that Severus had no intention of harming you" said Dumbledore as he looked hard into Harry's eyes  
  
"I know that, but I couldn't get his words out of my head, that's all I could hear" said Harry wearily as he closed his eyes once again resting his head against the cold stone of the wall  
  
"Harry, there are several things I would like to discuss with you this evening if you still feel up to it, and that dagger was one of them" said Dumbledore  
  
Harry opened his eyes and looked at his headmaster in curiosity.  
  
"You knew he was going to give me that dagger?" he asked  
  
"Of course I knew, I asked him to give it to you once he finished removing all of the poisons on the blade" explained the headmaster.  
  
"Oh" was all Harry said, but then he reached his arm out in front of him and the weapon came sailing into his outstretched hand an instant later  
  
Dumbledore smiled at the boy for a moment before approaching footsteps could be heard from around the corner, and Severus Snape came into view, black robes billowing out behind him like always. Dumbledore took the potion from his hand and gave it to Harry who uncorked the vile immediately and downed the dark liquid in one gulp, shuddering slightly from the taste. After another couple of minutes, his trembling had ceased almost completely and his face was almost back to its original color.  
  
"Better?" asked the headmaster  
  
"Much, thank you" replied the boy as he slowly got to his feet, only to nearly collapse a moment later if Dumbledore and Snape had not caught him under the arms to stop him from hitting the floor.  
  
"Typical Potter behavior, thinking they can recover from something like that faster than anyone else" muttered Snape under his breath, earning him a glare from the afore mentioned student.  
  
With Snape and Dumbledore supporting him, the three slowly made their way up to the headmasters' office where they set him gently upon the couch. He laid down and stayed still as the headmaster walked with Snape back down the stairs, both of them speaking quietly about something before the elderly mage returned and took a seat in one of the armchairs facing the couch. Harry opened his eyes and looked at the man before he sat up and spoke.  
  
"He's getting stronger" he said simply and he saw the weary expression cross Dumbledore's face as the man nodded in comprehension.  
  
"How much stronger?" he finally asked  
  
"Quite a bit, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to hold the curse for as long as he did and still have any power left, and if I'm not mistaken, all the remaining death eaters probably felt it this time and not just Professor Snape" said Harry in a steady tone  
  
Dumbledore nodded his head to confirm that he agreed with Harry, and that prompted the boy to continue.  
  
"I don't know how much longer I can hold out like this" he confessed "It seems like anytime I am frightened, he gains strength" he said as he looked to the older man.  
  
"Don't worry Harry, everything will work out for the best" he tried to reassure the boy before him, though he wasn't sure himself "as we speak, Severus, Sirius, and Remus are researching all possible leads for a way to destroy Voldemort's spirit and keep you safe"  
  
"But will they find it before its too late" he said quietly, taking his eyes from the piercing blue ones and focusing instead on the dagger still in his hand "What was it you wanted to tell me sir?" he asked to change the topic. At this, Dumbledore's eyes seemed to light up the smallest amount as he stood and went to his desk with his back to Harry and picked something up. When he turned, Harry saw that he was carrying a very familiar sword that he recognized from his second year as well as a small book bound in black leather. Curious, he looked up to his headmaster who handed both items to him.  
  
"What is this about sir?" he asked as he set to sword on the couch beside the dagger and opened the book.  
  
"Harry, there are a few things you need to know" he began "Things that have been kept from you for your entire life, but you are old enough now to learn them" he said as he continued to look at the confused boy before him "That book belonged to your father Harry, it's the Potter family record and contains the names of all of your relatives, I'm quite sure you will find more than one surprise among its pages, but I must first tell you the history of your family name." at this, Harry's attention was immediately focused completely on the headmaster.  
  
"Godric Gryffindor married a woman by the name of Marie Potter before he and the other founders came up with the idea of Hogwarts. They had two children, Luke and Sara, who were both quite powerful, like their father, but they came of age to start school after Hogwarts was formed, so naturally they both attended the school. Their father though, didn't think it would be fair for his children to be singled out by their name, so he enrolled them under their mothers maiden name so they would be treated by the other students and faculty as equal to everyone else and because of this decision, they were both able to make their own names for themselves instead of getting everything by their fathers name. Since then, all those who are descended from Godric Gryffindor were born with the Potter name. Only those in the family know of this though, and that is why you haven't found out the truth until now" he explained.  
  
Harry was in shock. He had always known he was different somehow, but he put all of that off to him being the boy-who-lived. Just then, another thought came to his mind, one he found to be quite humorous.  
  
"Guess that didn't work for me though did it?" he asked with a smile on his face  
  
"No, it certainly did not, and it will probably be a long time before the wizarding world forgets the name Potter" Dumbledore said with a chuckle  
  
"Well, is that how I was able to defeat Voldemort then? Because I'm the descendant to Gryffindor and he was the descendant of Slytherin?" asked Harry  
  
"Partly, but that's not all of it" said the headmaster, turning serious again  
  
"There's more?" groaned Harry, dreading what was to come.  
  
"I'm afraid so Harry. It's true that all of Gryffindors descendants have been more powerful than average witches and wizards, but none have come anywhere close to the power you possess"  
  
"What are you saying?"  
  
"I'm saying that there is something more about your power that we still haven't discovered. So far, no one has been able to control wandless magic like you can do. Most average people become exhausted after one spell, but you are capable of casting them as one would with a wand and you have yet to suffer any ill effects because of it, and all without saying an incantation as well, which has been unheard of before now" explained the headmaster  
  
"Why though?" asked Harry "Why me? Could it have something to do with Voldemort? Maybe I am somehow using his power as well as mine" said Harry, even though he knew that was not the truth, he knew that he hadn't been using anyone else's power except his own.  
  
"You know as well as I do Harry that you are not using his power. If that were the case, how were you able to send the dementors back to Azkaban, or transport all of the death eaters away from here. Anyone with less power than you would have been killed by the cruciatus curse you were subjected to as well as the poison from that blade, but the fact that you are still alive shows me that your power comes from something else"  
  
"Where?" asked Harry, determined to know the truth  
  
"We don't know Harry" said the headmaster seriously "Perhaps it has something to do with your mothers heritage"  
  
"But she was a muggle born, wasn't she?"  
  
"Yes she was born into the Evans family. That was how her name was written in the Hogwarts record book, and a persons name always appears how they were born, so even if they were adopted their birth name would be how they were enrolled in the school" explained the headmaster "but there very well could have been witches and wizards in the Evans families past, perhaps there were just several generations of squibs born, we shall never know for sure, but the fact remains that you are most defiantly the most powerful wizard the world has ever seen, no matter what the circumstances"  
  
This comment caused Harry's jaw to drop considerably, and all he could do was stare at the headmaster for several minutes before he found his voice.  
  
"That can't be possible sir. There is no way I am the most powerful wizard. I can think of two others right now who are more powerful than I am" he said finally, refusing to believe the mans words  
  
"And who might that be Harry?" he asked with a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth  
  
"You for one and defiantly Merlin" said Harry with certainty and he was startled to see the headmaster smile at him as though he found his statement humorous.  
  
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A/N: I know this is kind of an awkward place to stop, but if I didn't stop here this chapter would have been like 40 pages long. Thanks for reviewing the last chapter and let me know what you think about this one! 


	31. Family Discovered However Distant

Chapter 31  
  
"Ah Harry, there is still much you don't understand about your powers" he said heavily "Yes, I may be powerful, but have you ever seen me able to accomplish wandless magic?" he asked  
  
"Yes!" Harry exclaimed "At meals, you just say a few words and the tables fill with food" he said triumphantly  
  
"I'm afraid you are misinformed Harry. You see, the food is sent to the great hall by the house elves, not myself. My words are also heard in the kitchens and when I say so they send the food up. Any other times you can think of?"  
  
"How do you know everything that is going on in the entire castle then? You always seem to know what is going on at all times, even though you don't stop it you never seem surprised" he said, trying his last line of defense against what he was trying to avoid.  
  
"That is a headmasters' secret Harry, but I will tell you that the walls have eyes and ears" he said with a wide smile breaking his face in two.  
  
Harry smiled as well, it had been worth a shot even if he knew he wouldn't receive a straight answer to his question.  
  
"Ok, so how do you know that we're just not equal in power?" he asked now  
  
"Because I have already told you that I can't control magic without a wand, and you can, and I can only transform into one animal and I don't doubt that you can change into anything that you wish" he explained  
  
"What are you talking about? I'm not an animagus" said Harry, now certain that he was right  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"Because I've never transformed into an animal of any type, that's how!" said Harry forcefully  
  
"Have you ever tried?"  
  
This caught Harry completely off guard. Of course he hadn't tried to transform into an animal, they didn't cover that until after Christmas and he had no need to learn earlier like his father and godfather had.  
  
"Well, no" he answered truthfully  
  
"I have reason to believe that you are capable of achieving more than one animagus form, if you work hard to harness your power and focus it on your training. That is something you will be working on with Sirius during the next months" said the headmaster.  
  
"Ok, if you say so" said Harry, though he still didn't believe the mans words, "but there is no way I am more powerful than Merlin" he said with certainty  
  
"I assure you that you are" said the headmaster with the same amount of certainty in his own voice "Merlin was also unable to perform wandless magic and had only one animal form. True his powers were extraordinary, but with training I have no doubt that your power levels will surpass even his" his concluded  
  
"Ok, say that I believe you for now, which I still don't, but what does all of this have to do with you giving me these?" he questioned as he motioned to the sword and dagger beside him on the couch.  
  
"Ah yes" began the headmaster as a small smile was shown on his face "the sword I believe you recall receiving from the sorting hat during your time in the Chamber of Secrets?" Harry nodded "Well, the original intention was for that particular weapon to be passed down through the generations to the oldest son, and seeing as you are the last of the original Gryffindor line, the sword goes to you" he explained as though that would answer all of Harry's questions, which of course it didn't.  
  
"Are you saying that I am the last descendant of Gryffindor?" asked Harry  
  
"The last direct descendant yes, but not the last descendant" he said, as usual speaking in a circular riddle  
  
"I don't understand, what do you mean, what's the difference between the two" asked Harry as he rubbed his temples. The combination of being held under the curse for so long, learning his heritage, and trying to figure out the riddles of Albus Dumbledore were beginning to give him a terrible headache to say the least.  
  
"Well, a direct descendant is able to trace their heritage back to the one in question, in your case, Gryffindor. When you look at that book you have there, you will notice that if you follow from your father, to his father, and so on, you will arrive at the name Godric Gryffindor. Only the first born son of a direct descendant is considered a true heir, and he inherits all of his ancestors power. In wizards, heritage and blood relatives are traced through the fathers line and when a witch marries, she immediately assumes the name and heritage of her husband, though not by blood when they assume their married name, therefore, if the first born is a daughter, she will defiantly be more powerful than most normal witches and wizards, but not as powerful as her brother. Those who are not direct descendants are related through either more distant blood lines or marriage. For instance, they could be children of a direct descendants sister, cousins of direct descendants or another type of distant relation"  
  
"Ok, now I understand what you mean. My father was an only child, as am I, but my great grandfather had two sisters" said Harry as he studied the most recent pages of the book in his hands.  
  
"Yes, and your grandfather had one sister. It is quite rare for a descendant of Gryffindor to produce more than one son" said Dumbledore "Now if you would look on the next page, you will see who those three women married" he said with a twinkle in his eye as he watched the boy.  
  
Slowly, Harry flipped the page and saw what the older man was talking about. Alana Potter, his great grandfathers sister, had married a man with the last name of Carter, and her twin, Abigail, had married.Christopher Dumbledore. Harry looked up in shock when he read those words. "Does this mean that we're related" he choked out, looking at the man before him with wide eyes.  
  
"Yes it does, I'm a very distant uncle of yours if you will" said Dumbledore with a smile on his face at Harry's reaction "I am sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I just discovered the truth myself within the last couple of years, that is why I didn't bring you here when your parents were killed" he said with a sad expression on his face  
  
Harry was ecstatic, he actually had family! And not just any family, but the man who had always protected and defended him since he had first come to Hogwarts.  
  
"That's not all Harry, look at the name of the man your grandfathers sister married" said Dumbledore, the twinkle in his eye getting even brighter. Sure that things could not possible get any better, he turned the page and saw that Mary Potter had married Jacob Black. Shocked once again beyond words, he looked back to the headmaster for confirmation.  
  
"Yes, Sirius is also related to your family. He was your fathers second cousin, making him another distant uncle to you" he said with a smile "he has always known the truth, but I asked him not to mention it to you just yet, if Voldemort found out that he was more to you than your godfather, he wouldn't have hesitated to use him to get to you" said Dumbledore. Harry nodded showing that he understood the mans' reasoning.  
  
"So that means that both you and Sirius are indirect descendants of Gryffindor?" he asked and Dumbledore nodded "Any other surprises in here?" he asked finally once he had digested what he had just found out.  
  
"Nothing we haven't just discussed" said Dumbledore  
  
"So what about the dagger?" asked Harry now  
  
"Well, that is an interesting tale" said Dumbledore "In the old days, when a wizard defeated another wizard, he was given the other mans weapons that were used in the duel, all but his wand. During the recent past though, we have stopped using all weapons except for wands, so the practice of receiving the weapons has been forgotten" he explained "When you defeated Shaw, you earned his weapons, in this case that dagger, but that is not an ordinary dagger. That serpent on the hilt was a trademark shared by all of the weapons that belonged to Salazar Slytherin. It took Severus several days to discover that this particular dagger was indeed one of Slytherins from the time before the school was founded. Just how Shaw got a hold of it I don't know, but now it is yours. Don't worry, Severus removed the poisons from the blade" he said when he saw the hesitant expression on Harry's face  
  
"Isn't it more than a little strange that I now own Gryfindor's sword and Slytherin's dagger?" he asked the headmaster with a smirk  
  
"Only you Harry would be able to pull off such a feat" said the headmaster in a light hearted tone "I think it is time you went back to your room. Are you ok to walk back alone?" asked the headmaster in concern  
  
"I think so" answered Harry as he got to his feet and once the room stopped spinning, he gathered up his new belongings "Thank you sir for explaining all of this to me" said Harry as he approached the door.  
  
"You deserved the truth Harry, and don't worry, we will find a way to destroy what is left of Voldemort, just hold out a little bit longer" he said as way of reassurance.  
  
"I know you will, good night sir" said Harry as he left and went on his way to the fourth floor  
  
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The rest of the holidays were spent doing one of two things for Harry and Ginny, either sitting in the library, defense room, or Sirius' room with him and Remus and Snape researching any and all ancient spells that might be used to defeat Voldemort, or sitting in the common room talking with Ron, Hermione, and Draco.  
  
Since Christmas dinner, the four of them had begun to form a solid friendship with the Slytherin who had changed drastically since that final battle with Voldemort and the disappearance of his father Lucius. With Dumbledore and McGonagalls' permission, they had invited him to join tem in Gryffindor tower during the days and evenings so that they could stop meeting with him in the great hall to talk. It turned out that they had quite a but in common with each other, especially among the boys, including but not limited to their interest in quidditch. Ginny and Harry would have preferred to continue to search with the professors, but had decided that it was best to keep things as normal as possible with their friends to avoid arousing suspicions, so they spent at least half of every day either chatting, doing homework, or playing games with the other three and the other half researching.  
  
Before they knew it though, they were sitting in the great hall with the rest of the school on the first day of the second half of their last year at Hogwarts, or next to last year for Ginny, and things were back to normal with Draco sitting at the Slytherin table and Harry moved back into Gryffindor tower. The other students had arrived by the Hogwarts Express and come straight to the great hall for the welcome back feast and as usual, Harry was the center of attention. After the duel, he had been in the hospital wing until the day after all the students had left, and the only ones who had seen him since that day had been the handful of those who had remained at the castle during the break. The last thing they had seen of the seventh year was him fighting a pair of fully trained aurors, being held under the cruciatus curse, defeating the auror who had turned out to be a death eater, and then collapsing into a bloody and pain filled heap on the floor. The truth about the poisoned blade had spread through the school instantly, and no one thought he would have survived the night, but that was all that they had heard and to have him sitting in the great hall two weeks later as though nothing had happened amazed them all, but in truth, Harry Potter was constantly doing something to amaze the wizarding world. Currently, he was sitting at the head of Gryffindor table with his long black hair, which was almost down several inches below his shoulders, pulled into a low ponytail, dressed in his customary black slacks and shirt with his black school robes over them, but what caught their attention the most was the brilliant scarlet cloak he was wearing over the black outfit. Sure, all of the students had their own cloaks and wore them regularly, but the vast majority of them were black or other dark blues or greens, nothing came close to being as spectacular as the scarlet and gold cloak Harry was wearing. What confused them the most though was the fact that he was wearing a cloak at all, the great hall was very warm and comforting with the dozens of fire places around the perimeter roaring with bright flames and successfully removing all chills from the air, so they couldn't figure out why he was wearing such a thick and heavy article of clothing at all.  
  
As Harry sat nest to Ginny and across from Ron and Hermione, he was well aware of the looks of astonishment and awe he was receiving, but he chose to ignore them and instead continued his conversation with his friends.  
  
"Honestly you two, I can't believe that you haven't even begun to study for your NEWTS yet!" exclaimed Hermione as though she were surprised about this  
  
"Calm down Hermione, there is still plenty of time to study" said Ron as he put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek  
  
"He's right Hermione, we still have six months before we take those tests" agreed Harry as he readjusted the snake who had taken up almost permanent residence around his left forearm, between the layers of his shirt and robe sleeves. Once Sherlock was more comfortable, he pulled the edges of his cloak more tightly around his shivering body unconsciously. After the duel, he had constantly had a chill, but he was warmed if he wrapped himself in enough layers of clothing or blankets. Ever since the incident in the hallway outside the headmasters office though, the cold was constantly permeating into his bones and no amount of clothing or warming spells could cause his body to stop shivering, even if he was sitting mere feet in front of a blazing fire. He had taken to wearing his new cloak everywhere he went for the small amount of warmth its thick fabric provided him. Just then, the headmaster summoned the food to the tables and the feast began.  
  
Since his conversation with the headmaster, Harry had been thinking about a lot of things that he had discovered that night. He was still doubtful that all the headmaster had said was true about his powers, but he had come to accept it a little at a time. When he had told Sirius that he knew the truth, the older man was ecstatic and if possible, the two had become even closer to each other. The only other person that Harry showed the book containing the Potter family line to had been Ginny who was almost in as much shock as Harry had been when she discovered that he was related to Sirius and Dumbledore, no matter how distantly. She had been even more shocked though when she found out that he was descended from Gryffindor himself. Harry smiled now as he remembered the look of pure astonishment on her face when he had told her. Together, Harry and Sirius had informed Hermione, Ron, and Draco about their relationship and the three had been just as excited as them. No one except for Dumbledore and Snape though had found out about Voldemort cursing Harry again, not wanting to worry the others or add any more stress to the already taxed group. Harry had had to continue taking post cruciatus potions for several days following to alleviate the stiffness and soreness in his muscles, but he had managed to keep the truth from everyone, including the headmaster, about just how much pain the curse caused him. They knew that it was painful, but they had no idea just how much pain the curse caused him and he intended to keep it that way.  
  
When dinner ended, the group made their way up to Gryffindor tower and settled themselves around the fire, Ron, Ginny, and Harry concluding their Divination homework and Hermione reprimanding them for not doing it sooner.  
  
"I can't believe that old bat assigned us three essays to write over the break" groaned Harry as concluded his final essay  
  
"Well, it would have been only one, but I think she was upset when she found out her prediction didn't come true again" said Ron  
  
"What prediction?" asked Ginny as she rolled up her last roll of parchment, finally finished  
  
"The normal" answered Ron and at Ginny's still confused expression, he elaborated "she was so certain that Harry had died and when I told her that he was indeed very alive and in the hospital wing with Sirius she immediately assigned us two more essays" he said with a smile  
  
"You'd think she would realize by now that nothing could kill you" said Hermione as she looked at Harry with a smile on her face  
  
Harry looked worriedly at Ginny for an instant before he returned the smile and said "You had the right idea when you dropped the class Hermione, she's nothing but an old fraud"  
  
At this, both of his best friends laughed as Ron and Harry put their own completed essays away.  
  
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm exhausted" said Ron as he shot Hermione a meaningful look and blushing, she stood as well.  
  
"Night guys, I'll see you two in the morning" she said to the couple as she went to Ron and the pair went into one of the dark corners that was far away from the other students to 'say goodnight' to each other.  
  
Giving Ginny a small smile, Harry put his arms around her waist and pulled her from her seat on the couch and onto the rug before the fire to sit next to him.  
  
"What's wrong Harry?" she asked quietly as she snuggled into his arms  
  
"Nothing" he said back, just as quietly  
  
"I don't believe you, something is bothering you, why won't you tell me?" she said, but not in a demanding tone, but a gentle and comforting one as she turned and looked him in the eye, using her left hand to push a stray lock of ebony hair from his eyes. As she did that, Harry caught sight of the glint of gold as her ring reflected off the fire and that caused him to sigh heavily.  
  
"I don't want to burden you with my problems Gin, you've already done so much for me during these past several months" he answered as he leaned lightly into her hand that was still on his cheek  
  
"I love you Harry, nothing you tell me burdens me. I want to be here for you no matter what, just like you are for me" she said honestly  
  
"Are you sure?" he asked, again not believing he was lucky enough to be with such a terrific person  
  
"Positive" she said with a small but reassuring smile on her face  
  
Hesitantly he looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was close enough to over hear them before he began speaking quietly "What if we can't find a way to destroy Voldemort?" he asked  
  
"We will Harry, don't worry" said Ginny with conviction  
  
"But what if we don't Gin, what if there is no way to destroy him? We've been searching non stop for over a week already and we are no closed to finding anything to help" he said in desperation as he bowed his head and closed his eyes  
  
"I know Harry, but this will take time, we just have to be patient" said Ginny as she squeezed his hand in reassurance  
  
"That's what I'm afraid of" he said, barley audible  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Ginny, dreading his answer  
  
"He's getting stronger Gin, every day he is a little bit stronger" he began "Any time I have a nightmare, or doubt myself, he gains a little more strength and I don't know how much longer I will be able to control him" he said as he brought his head back up and looked into her eyes.  
  
As she gazed into the familiar pools of green, Ginny saw several things she never thought those eyes would contain, desperation, fear, and doubt being the most predominant. Not knowing what else to do, she pulled him closer to her and just held him in her arms, trying to provide some sort of silent support to the one she loved. She knew nothing she could say would alleviate his fears, the same fears she herself had had for the past week so she just held him for a long time.  
  
Several hours later, Harry woke up and realized that he was lying on the rug in front of the common room fire held in Ginny's arms. Embarrassed by what he admitted for a moment his entire body tensed up, but then he thought about her words and relaxed once again. As quietly as possible, trying not to wake Ginny who was lying next to him, she stood and glanced around the common room to find it completely deserted. He looked at the clock in the corner of the room and realized with a groan that it was three in the morning, they would have to be in classes in just five hours. Turning back to look at Ginny, a small smile came across his face as he saw her sleeping on the scarlet rug. Her long auburn hair was fanned out behind her creating a look like fire as it reflected the light of the flames, turning every shade of red imaginable. Her face was relaxed and held an expression of peace that was absent all too much during her waking hours. Her beautiful face was pale but had a slight sprinkling of freckles across her nose and cheeks, freckles she hated but Harry found irresistible. Drawing himself away from those thoughts, he knelt by her side and gathered her sleeping form into his arms, being careful not to put her weight on Sherlock who still had yet to move from his wrist. Getting to his feet, Harry shifted her weight slightly and elicited a small sigh of contentment from her still sleeping form. He silently made his way up the steps to the girls dormitory and stopped for several moments to listen at the door to make sure he wouldn't walk in to someone changing, before he waved his hand from beneath Ginny and the door opened without a sound to reveal three other sleeping girls. He made his way to the furthest bed from the door and with another motion from his hand the blankets covering the bed were folded back and he carefully placed Ginny onto the soft bed. He waved his hand again and her shoes were instantly sitting on the floor next to the bed. He pulled the blankets over her and tucked them securely around her thin frame to make sure she stayed warm before he bent over and barley brushed his lips on her forehead in a gentle kiss.  
  
"Goodnight Ginny, I love you more than you could ever imagine" he muttered under his breath before he turned and left the dormitory, closing the door without a noise behind him before he retired to his own dormitory for some much needed sleep of his own.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N: ok guys, I promise, there is more action to come, just a few chapters away, but how do you like this one? Please be honest, I know some of it is kind of cliché, but it is important for the rest of the story. Ok, now I'm going to answer some questions you asked, first off, someone complained about the name Sherlock, well, I know it isn't a traditional snake name, but geeze, cut me some slack, I didn't want to use all the names everyone else used, like Sebastian, so I chose Sherlock, by the way, that is my cats name and I love my cat, he was a birthday gift from my boss and she and the other people I work with named him for me and I happen to think it is cute. As far as his size and the fact that small snakes don't carry venom, I regret to inform you that where I am from, we have three kinds of snakes that are deadly at any size, so in my story, a little snake is poisonous. Also, I was told that it seemed like I was rushing through my story and not thinking it out, does anyone else feel this way? Cause if you do, I could spend months plotting out every single detail and still be posting chapters in a year if that is what you want. Ok, enough of my ranting now, that review just kind of depressed me a little bit, sorry. Thanks everyone who reviewed my story and I hope you still like it after this chapter, let me know! 


	32. Scars and Life

Chapter 32  
  
The next week passed by in a blur for all the students and professors alike and Saturday morning dawned bright and cold. Harry had been awake for hours, sitting in the common room and searching through a large pile of books that he and Ginny had found in the restricted section of the library the night before when they had gone with Sirius and Remus to research, which was how they had spent every waking moment that they were not in classes. Harry was so absorbed in the book that he didn't hear the sound of footsteps descending down the stairs until someone cleared their throat behind him. Startled, he looked over his shoulder and saw the accusing look sent his way by none other than Hermione Granger. He groaned inwardly at seeing his best friend standing behind him and surveying the mountain of books. During the course of the past couple weeks, they had managed to keep their research a secret from the head girl and her boyfriend, but since Christmas night he had become desperate and was searching day and night almost nonstop for a solution, and now he had been caught sitting in the common room at dawn with a large pile of restricted books beside him and Harry had to come up with some kind of excuse.  
  
"What are you doing Harry?" asked Hermione with her brow furrowed as she surveyed her best friend and picked up one of the books. He was sitting in front of the fire fully dressed in his black clothes and robe with the scarlet cloak draped over his shoulders. In his hands he held a fairly large book with no words written on the cover and beside him sat about twenty other equally large books and she curiously picked one up and opened it to the first page to read the title of the book since it was not on the cover and what she found surprised her. The title of the book was 'Destroying the Soul'.  
  
"Harry.wh.what are you doing" she sputtered out as she looked at his face over the book "these are dark arts books" she continued when she received no response. Instead, Harry just looked at her with an almost calculating expression on his face that was instantly replaced by an indifferent mask that hid everything he was thinking. A moment later, he raised his hand and all the books disappeared within an instant, including the one that had been in her hands. The only one remaining was the one in his hands which he carefully closed as he turned to look Hermione in the eyes.  
  
"Research" he simply said before trying to change the subject "Why are you up so early?" he asked  
  
"I couldn't sleep. What were you researching about in dark arts books?" she asked, refusing to allow him to change the subject that easily  
  
"Oh, on Monday some of the professors are going to start helping me learn how to better use and control my powers and those were just some books Remus wanted me to look through before my lesson with him Monday night" he explained in a steady tone. It wasn't a complete lie, Dumbledore had arranged for him to work with Sirius on animagus training starting Monday night and Dumbledore had mentioned, during one of their now regular meeting, something about having some of the other professors helping him learn how to harness his powers better sometime in the near future.  
  
Hermione was looking skeptically at him for several moments before she spoke again "Why is he having you read books about destroying souls? That is clearly very dark magic and probably illegal" she said  
  
Harry thought fast before answering her "Well, their opinion is that if I'm going to fight dark magic for the rest of my life, I should at least know as much of it as possible so I can defend myself" he said, looking at her and praying that she bought his story  
  
"Oh, are you planning on becoming an auror like Ron and Draco?" she asked him, slightly irritated by the fact she was unable to read his expression and therefore having no choice but to believe him  
  
"I'm not sure yet, but regardless of what I do, I will always be fighting the dark arts it seems. Apparently it's my destiny or something" he said with his characteristic half smile on his face, which caused Hermione to smile in return.  
  
"Well, if you find anything interesting in those books or if you need any help studying, let me know" she said pleasantly before changing the subject "So, are you ready for today?" she asked as she settled into one of the other chairs. At eleven that morning was the first quidditch game of the year, now that the pitch was back to normal after being destroyed during the previous year.  
  
"Yeah" said Harry with a grin on his face. He had been made captain of the team at the beginning of his sixth year and he had all intentions of leading his team to the cup for his final year, especially since he hadn't had the opportunity to do so last year. Gryffindor had been in the lead for the cup last year but Voldemort's attack had caused the season to end abruptly with no house winning the cup.  
  
"Good, because Heaven knows we need that cup this year" said a voice from behind the pair and when they turned they recognized the bleary eyed figure of Ginny approaching them.  
  
"What are you doing up so early Gin?" asked Harry in concern as he saw his obviously tired girlfriend yawn widely.  
  
"Good morning to you too Harry" she said in mock outrage as she perched herself on the arm of the chair beside him  
  
"Sorry, good morning Gin" he apologized as he gave her a quick kiss, conscious of Hermione's presence  
  
"What were you two discussing?" asked Ginny as she looked between Harry and Hermione  
  
"Oh, Harry was just telling me about the new lessons he is going to be receiving from Remus and the other professors starting next week" said Hermione, and she was quick to notice the flash of confusion that passed across Ginny's expression before Harry spoke up quickly as he looked at the clock  
  
"Ginny, we had better get to breakfast so we have time to get ready for the match. Could you please wake Michelle and Abby? I'll get Scott, Ron, and Seamus and meet you guys in the great hall in about thirty minutes" he said as he got to his feet and set off to the boys' dormitory with the book still in his hands.  
  
"Sure" said Ginny as she too headed to her dormitory, but she had only made it a couple of steps before Hermione's hand on her shoulder brought her to a halt. Confused, she turned to face the older girl "What's wrong Hermione?"  
  
"What's going on with Harry Gin?" she demanded, her tone harder than she intended, but she knew something wasn't right with her best friend and she was determined to find out the truth  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Ginny, deciding to play ignorant about what she knew  
  
"I'm not dumb Ginny. I know something is going on with Harry and I also know that you know what's wrong with him" said Hermione as she looked into the other girls eyes  
  
"I have no idea why you would think that Hermione, everything is fine" Ginny insisted  
  
"Ginny, when I got down here this morning, he was reading books about destroying souls and when I asked him about it he fed me some story about Remus wanting him to read the books. Not only that, but Ron said he hasn't slept more than a couple of hours a night, if that, for the past several days, and you and he are always in the library or the defense classroom with Remus and Sirius, obviously researching something and I want to know what is going on with him" said Hermione determinedly  
  
"Hermione, if this was something that Harry thought you should know he would tell you" said Ginny, her temper wearing thin  
  
"But Ginny, Harry is my best friend, I have a right to know what is going on, there may be something Ron or I could do to help" said Hermione in a pleading voice "I know you know what is going on, please tell my"  
  
"Hermione, I do know what is going on, but I swore to Harry that I would keep it to myself and I plan on keeping my word to him" she said as she turned again to go back up the stairs  
  
"Ginny, we have a right to know!" exclaimed Hermione and this caused Ginny's temper to finally snap and she whirled to face the head girl  
  
"Hermione, how dare you say something like that!" she exclaimed back, trying to keep her voice as low as possible so they wouldn't wake their other housemates "Who are you to say you have the right to know everything about Harry's life! He may be your best friend but did you ever consider that maybe, just maybe there were some things he didn't want you to know?! If he thought that this concerned you or Ron, he would tell you, but apparently he doesn't so just leave it alone! If you are a true friend you should understand this and accept it without questioning him! When he is ready, he will tell you, and until that time, don't try to go behind his back like this again and respect his decisions and wishes. I have to get the other girls up" she said, signaling their conversation was over and going up the stairs to wake her teammates, leaving a confused but angry Hermione in her wake.  
  
Three hours later, the Gryffindor quidditch team was standing in the middle of the pitch facing the Slytherin team, about to begin the game. At Madame Hooch's signal, Harry and Draco shook hands and the balls were released into the air, followed immediately by the fourteen students. On the Gryffindor team, Ginny, Michelle, a fifth year, and Abby, a sixth year, played chaser and Seamus and Scott, a fifth year, played beaters, leaving Harry to find the Snitch and Ron to defend the goals.  
  
The game began and within only twenty minutes the Slytherin team was down by 80 points, the score being 80-0. Ron was an outstanding keeper and during the three years he had been on the team he had proven to be one of the best keepers the team had ever had and he refused to let the other team score. The three girls were equally as good at their positions and were constantly putting the quaffel through the hoops on the opposite end of the field, earning cheers from their housemates. Scott and Seamus had both just joined the team this year and were still learning the finer aspects of playing beaters, but they were doing a good job at keeping the majority of the bludgers from hitting any scarlet clad team members and sending a great number at the green clad students. Harry winced in sympathetic pain though when one of the bludgers sent by Seamus hit Draco squarely in the face, giving him a very bloody nose, but the blonde refused to stop his search for the snitch and continued to circle the field.  
  
As the game progressed, Harry kept one eye on his team and the other was constantly searching for the elusive golden ball. Draco, as always, stayed close by so that if Harry saw the snitch he wouldn't be too far behind at going after it. As Harry watched the game going on below him, he felt a smile creep onto his lips when he caught sight of Ginny score yet another goal. When she had first wanted to try out for the team in her fourth year, he had been skeptical to say the least, having never seen her on a broom before, but she flew just as well as any of her brothers, if not better, and that just caused his love of her to grow more. Her hair was billowing out behind her as she flew and after scoring the goal, she seemed to feel his gaze and looked up at him, sending him a happy wave and wide smile before turning her attention back to her fellow chasers. He smiled back and just as he did so, he saw a flash of gold hovering just above her head. His lack of concentration on the game around him though had its definite downfalls, he realized with a painful groan as a bludger hit him hard in the middle of the back. Blocking out the pain, he searched the area he had just seen the snitch in and he smiled when he saw it dive to the ground. With a sudden burst of speed, he raced for the ball and felt Draco on his heels, but there was no way the other boy could beat him when he was so focused on his goal. He quickly drew even with the golden, winged ball and with a quick movement he stretched out his hand and folded his fingers around the small ball as a smile of triumph spread across his face. He was instantly aware of the cheers from his team and the stands and he was surrounded by the rest of his team as they descended to the snow covered ground.  
  
Ginny ran up to him immediately and pulled him into a tight hug, but when she felt him wince under her embrace, she released him and looked at him in worry.  
  
"What's wrong Harry?" she asked in concern  
  
"Don't worry Gin, I just took a hit by a bludger, nothing Madame Pomfrey cant cure in an instant" he said with a smile  
  
"Let's get you up to the hospital wing then so you don't have to miss the party" she said with a smile as she took his hand and led him away.  
  
When they arrived in the hospital wing and told Madame Pomfrey what had happened, she directed Harry to the bed at the far end of the ward and directed him to remove his shirt. Ginny waited in the hallway for him to get done and talked with Draco for a moment as he went to get his bloody nose fixed up.  
  
Once he had removed his robes and shirt, Harry lay on his stomach on the bed and felt Madame Pomfrey applying the purple bruise ointment to his back. Immediately, the pain was lessened and he was about to sit back up when she pushed him back down.  
  
"Oh no you don't Mr. Potter. You stay need to stay here for about fifteen more minutes to let that bruise completely heal, I'll come check on you in a little bit"  
  
Groaning, Harry laid back down, resigned to his fate of having to wait until she said he could leave. Deciding to make the most of the situation, he put both of arms under the pillow and closed his eyes to get a few moments of sleep.  
  
Just as he had gotten comfortable though, he heard someone draw the curtains aside and begin speaking. Madame Pomfrey knew how he felt about anyone seeing his scars, that's why he was in this particular bed that was hidden from the rest of the ward, hidden from prying eyes of the other students, but yet, someone had found him.  
  
"Hey Potter, why are you hiding your skinny arse way back here?" asked the person "I saw Ginny outside and she said you were here, I've been looking everywhere.bloody hell" he cut himself off and Harry opened his eyes but kept his head on the pillow as he looked at Draco.  
  
"How's the nose Malfoy?" he asked the blonde boy  
  
"Huh? Oh, yeah, the nose, it's fine" he mumbled as he continued to stare at Harry in horror. Finally though, he found his voice again "Harry, are those scars all from the death eaters?" he asked hesitantly  
  
"Yes" said Harry simply as he looked into the pale boy's gray eyes  
  
"How many of those did my father give you?" asked Draco as he met Harry's eyes  
  
"Enough" he answered in an emotionless voice  
  
"Harry, can I ask you a serious question?"  
  
"You already have, but go ahead"  
  
"Is my father really dead?" Every since Harry had returned, everyone assumed that all the death eaters that had disappeared with him had died, but no bodies had ever been found and Harry had never acknowledged or denied these rumors as being true.  
  
"Yes, I'm sorry Draco, your father is dead" he said in the same expressionless voice. Draco nodded his head, but for some reason, he didn't feel depressed at all. He knew what his father was and how he treated people he thought as inferior, he was even willing to bet that Lucius Malfoy had put the majority of those scars on Harry's back. Suddenly though, there was something he had to find out, and he only hoped that the raven haired boy would tell him the truth.  
  
"How did he die?" of all the questions Harry had thought Draco would ask, this was not one he had considered the answer to. There was no way he could tell him the entire truth, but perhaps he would accept part of it. Draco watched as Harry closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before he answered with his eyes still closed.  
  
"Voldemort tried to control him, and he made your father duel against me, but he had been under Voldemort's control for to long, he wasn't strong enough to duel with anyone. I only meant to stun him, but that curse was too strong and it killed him. I didn't mean to have him die, I didn't want for anyone but Voldemort to die. I'm so sorry Draco" he said as he opened his eyes again and looked anywhere but Draco's face.  
  
"Harry, it's not your fault. My father was evil, the things he did to you and everyone else were terrible and he deserved what he got. I don't blame you at all for what happened. Thank you for telling me though, I appreciate it" he said quietly to the other boy  
  
The pair sat in silence for several moments before Draco spoke up again "Great game today, by the way. How does your back feel? That was a pretty hard hit you took."  
  
Harry was glad for the change in subject "Not nearly as hard as that one you took, but it feels fine" he answered with a small smile just as Madame Pomfrey returned. She carefully examined the area where the bruise had been and once satisfied that he was healed, dismissed him before telling Draco to step out so she could look at his nose again.  
  
Once the pair had left, Harry sat up and pulled his shirt and robes back on before he left the curtained off area and walked out into the hallway with Draco. They said their goodbyes and Draco headed toward the dungeons and Ginny and Harry headed to the tower.  
  
"You know, if we play this well in the rest of the games this season, the cup is ours for sure" Harry said with a grin on his face  
  
"Well, you know it helps when you have someone as famous as Harry Potter as captain and seeker" said Ginny in a teasing tone  
  
"Or someone as beautiful as Ginny Weasley as chaser" retorted Harry with a mischievous grin on his face  
  
Suddenly, he swept Ginny up into his arms as he spun her around in glee as she giggled madly before he put her down and led the way through the drafty castle to begin the celebrations with the rest of Gryffindor who were already in the tower without a worry on his mind. The celebration lasted long into the night and for the first time in a long time, Harry was happy and all his worries were pushed out of his mind, but the same was not true for the three professors gathered in the headmasters' office as they met to discuss their progress concerning their research.  
  
When they left the office, Severus Snape's face was drawn tight in anger and frustration, Remus Lupin looked even more weary than he did the day after a full moon and his normally calm expression was replaced by one of fury, Sirius Black though was the most changed, his face was pale and his shoulders slumped, but his eyes were the most changed, they looked even more dead than when he had escaped from Azkaban, only pale blue pits of loss and desperation. Inside the office, the normally jovial headmaster had his hands resting on the window sill as he surveyed the grounds, but his eyes sparkled with unshed tears as he spoke three words quietly  
  
"I'm sorry Harry"  
  
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When Harry awoke the next morning, he was more than a little surprised to find Hedwig perched on his headboard with a letter tied to her leg. Confused, he pulled off the letter and opened it up, finding the familiar scrawl of Dumbledore on the parchment. Wondering what could be so important that the headmaster couldn't wait until their meeting that night, his eyes scanned the letter and a feel of overwhelming desperation overtook his heart.  
  
Harry,  
  
Could you please come to my office as soon as you receive this, it is a matter of utmost importance. Severus, Remus, and Sirius are waiting for you here as well.  
  
Albus Dumbledore  
  
Knowing that he wanted to speak about only one thing, Harry's hands began to tremble and his breathing came in short gasps. He knew that this meant that their search for a way to destroy Voldemort had proved futile and that there was no way the evil spirit could be destroyed. Knowing what he was about to face, but unwilling to accept it, he became furious instantly, but closed his eyes tightly to prevent the emotion from taking control of him which would allow Voldemort to curse him again. Suddenly, he heard the sound of glass shattering from beside him, and startled, he sprang to his feet with his hand outstretched and aimed at the window beside him, just as the other four occupants of the room threw aside their own hangings to see what had happened.  
  
"Harry, what was that?" asked Ron in a frightened whisper as he surveyed the shattered window beside Harry's bed.  
  
Harry, who was also looking at the window, suddenly realized what had happened. Dumbledore had told him that as long as he was unable to fully control his magic that extreme emotions could spontaneously cause things to happen and he gave his dorm mates a sheepish half smile.  
  
"Sorry guys, I guess I just lost control for a minute there, I didn't mean to wake you" he said as he put his letter on his desk as he gathered up his clothes and went into the bathroom to change, leaving four confused friends behind.  
  
"Harry did that?" asked Neville finally as he continued to stare at the shattered window "How?"  
  
"I don't know" muttered Ron as he to looked at the glass on the floor  
  
Just then, Harry walked back out of the bathroom, fully clothed, including his scarlet cloak and headed towards the door before he looked back over his shoulder and with a wave of his hand fixed the shattered window.  
  
"Where are you going Harry?" asked Ron as he watched the back of his retreating friend  
  
"Dumbledore" was all he said as the door opened before him and closed behind him without being touched.  
  
"Why is he going to see the headmaster at seven in the morning?" asked Seamus as he pulled his blankets over his head and yawned widely, desperate for a few more hours of sleep.  
  
"I don't know" said Ron, but his eyes fell on the parchment that was sitting on the desk between their beds and he picked it up and quickly scanned the words before looking to the others who were all watching him expectantly "Dumbledore just wrote him saying that he, Snape, Remus, and Sirius were waiting for him and to go to his office immediately" he explained  
  
"But why would that cause him to get angry enough to blow up the window?" asked Dean  
  
"I don't know. Go back to sleep, its early" Ron said as he pulled a dressing gown over his pajamas and went into the common room, planning on waiting for Harry there until he returned, but his friend was not seen again until breakfast.  
  
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When Harry arrived at the headmasters office, his immediate observation was that the news he was about to hear was far from good, his next one was that he had better get control before the headmasters window shattered as well.  
  
"You wanted to see me sir?" he asked as he shut the door behind him  
  
"Yes Harry, please take a seat" he said as he motioned to the only empty chair in the office, in between Remus and Sirius with Snape standing with his back against the wall, all unusually tense.  
  
"Harry, I'm afraid we have some bad news for you" began the headmaster "I have contacted several of my friends about your problem, and they all have the same answer"  
  
"There is nothing we can do, is there" said Harry, interrupting Dumbledore  
  
"In your case, I'm afraid not. There are actually two ways for Voldemort's spirit to be destroyed" at this, Harry's eyes lit up for an instant until he heard the next sentence "but neither of them would help you Harry" said the headmaster in a somber tone  
  
"What are they sir?" asked Harry "Maybe we could figure out a way to make them work" he said in determination  
  
"Harry, I don't think we can, but you have a right to know. The first way that a soul that is living in another is destroyed is death of the one holding it, but that death has to be a natural one or the soul is free to find another host"  
  
"What do you mean by natural sir?"  
  
"A natural death is by old age or by natural sickness, nothing inflicted by another person or yourself is considered natural, and even this is not a definite cure."  
  
"What is the other way?" asked Harry, desperate to be able to find a loophole in this one  
  
"The other possibility requires both a spell and a potion in order to be effective" began Dumbledore "They both require three people for them to be successful, the potion is quite complicated and requires a droop of blood from these three people which you would have to drink, and immediately after that, a spell must be cast on you be the other two" he finished, but Harry knew it sounded to easy to be true  
  
"What's the catch?" he asked immediately "What other people de we need to help with this?"  
  
"We would need one of your blood relatives, and a relative of Voldemort and this spell can only work if all involved share complete trust in each other, all three of them" he said in a level tone and Harry immediately knew why this was impossible. True, he now had two wizards who were related to himself by blood, but Voldemort had killed his father and entire muggle side of his family and his mother had died after he had been born, leaving no relatives, or at least no one who would willingly admit they were related to him and even if they did find anyone who fit this picture, the odds of an heir of Gryffindor and an heir of Slytherin having complete trust in each other or Harry was unheard of. As far as the wizarding world knew, Voldemort was the last remaining relative of Slytherin and had no descendants himself. Sighing heavily, he lowered his head in defeat.  
  
"I'm sorry Harry" said Dumbledore softly as he looked at the boy before him just as Remus put a reassuring hand on Harry's shoulder and gave a small squeeze "We will of course keep searching, but you needed to know what we have discovered so far"  
  
Harry nodded and for the first time looked at his godfather who had remained still and silent throughout the entire exchange. Sirius looked as though he were merely a shell of a man, his eyes were deadened and his posture hunched and Harry realized immediately why he looked so deadened. He had already lost three of his best friends to Voldemort and it was now looking as though he were going to loose his surrogate son as well to the same evil. Harry made a vow to himself then and there not to give up. For his godfather and Ginny as well as everyone else he cared for and who cared for him in return, he would keep fighting this. He didn't know how long it would be before Voldemort won, but he would live whatever time he had left with those he cared about. He wouldn't let this interfere with his life any longer and he would enjoy every day to the fullest. He would keep searching for a way to end this hell he was currently living in, but until he found one, he would live. He wouldn't spend whatever time he had left by causing others to worry, this would stay between the men present in this room, Ginny, Draco, Ron, and Hermione need never find out the truth.  
  
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	33. A Deep Dark Secret

Chapter 33  
  
The next several weeks passed in a blur for Harry, who, between quidditch, classes, and preparing for his NEWTS had somehow managed to find time to be with Ginny, Ron, and Hermione during the week. He had taken to spending Saturdays with his friends and Saturday night and all day Sunday with his godfather who had lost the deadened look in his eyes when Harry acted as though everything would turn out as it should, some of the optimism rubbing off on the older man.  
  
Their classes were getting increasingly more difficult as the cold months of winter gave way to the chill of early spring and their time at Hogwarts began winding to a close for the trio of Gryffindor students and Draco. Their friendship with the Slytherin had remained strong throughout the weeks and was even getting stronger as they met on a regular basis to study and talk together. True to his word, Harry had kept his conversation with the four professors a secret from Ginny, but he knew she suspected there was something going on, but she didn't press him to tell her anything he wasn't willing to share just yet. She had told him about her conversation with Hermione, and although his best friend was still desperate to know the truth about what was going on, she had not asked Harry or Ginny to tell her, fearing that doing so would shatter their friendship permanently. She knew as well that Harry had his reasons for hiding things from them, and even though she still was worried about him, she ignored her suspicions and instead enjoyed the carefree time spent with him and her other friends.  
  
He had begun private lessons with Sirius to work on his animagus transformations and was surprised when the process was so easy for him to accomplish, especially when he had always been told it took years to become an animagus and he had done so after only two months worth of lessons. That first night he had transformed himself into a jet black raven with green eyes. That still amazed him, he had now transformed into several different animals, just like Dumbledore had said he could do, but every one of them had his brilliant emerald eyes as well as a lightning bolt somewhere on their bodies. There were only three people who knew that he was able to transform into more than one animal, Remus, Sirius, and Dumbledore, he had told his friends and Ginny that he had become an animagus, but the form he had shown them was that of the raven, wanting to keep the rest of the truth a secret in case of emergency.  
  
The professors had continued to search for any other option, but their search still proved futile, and they had almost given up hope. Harry had not been subjected to any more curses from Voldemort, and the evil wizards spirit had been uncharacteristically silent most of the time, in fact, Harry only heard him once a day at most, compared to the almost constant presence of it before Christmas, for which Harry was eternally grateful, but just because the voice was absent during the day, didn't mean that the nightmares were also gone. In fact, the horrors in Harry's dreams had gotten even worse, not only replaying his time with Voldemort, but he was now dreaming about what would happen to his friends and the rest of the world if and when Voldemort finally took control of him. Voldemort was strong enough with just his powers, but if he ever got control of Harry's extraordinary powers, death and misery for everyone was the only thing that would happen. They had tried dreamless sleep potion on several different occasions, but since the majority of Harry's nightmares were the work of Voldemort, it was a useless gesture.  
  
Before they knew it, it was March fourth; a day that will always haunt them, for exactly one year ago today, Voldemort had attacked Hogwarts. When Harry awoke that morning, he was aware of a thick and foreboding silence that permeated the entire Gryffindor tower, and when he when he went to breakfast, he noticed that the feeling was present in every member of the school. He took his seat next to Ginny and looked across the table to Ron and Hermione who were both looking right back at him with apprehensive expressions on their faces that made him feel more than a little uncomfortable.  
  
"Morning" he said to the three of them to break the tense silence "Why are you so quiet?" he asked  
  
"Morning Harry, how are you doing?" asked Ron nervously as though he expected his best friend to break down at any moment  
  
"I'm fine, it's you I'm worried about" he answered as he looked from one face to the other  
  
"How can you be fine Harry?" began Hermione "I keep seeing what happened that day and what we went through is nothing compared to what you must have gone through. I wish you would just tell us what you have been hiding and then I would believe that you are as well as you as you keep trying to make us believe" said Hermione  
  
"What are you talking about Hermione? I said I was fine, and why do you think I'm hiding anything from you?" asked Harry in carefully measured tones  
  
"I know you are hiding something important from us Harry, something that you can tell Ginny, and Sirius, and Remus, and Dumbledore, and even Snape, but that you can't tell your two best friends" she said, her voice full of suppressed emotions of anger and resentfulness and even deep emotional hurt.  
  
"Yeah Harry, you used to tell us everything, but now it's like you don't trust us anymore. Why are you keeping things from us all of a sudden?" asked Ron  
  
What happened next was something that none of them, even Ginny, could have predicted. Harry lowered his fork to his plate silently and lifted his head and looked the head girl in the eyes, and she shuddered under the intensity of his gaze, unable to keep her eyes looking into his for more than an instant. He then stood slowly and deliberately and stayed still and silent for a long moment before he spoke in a low and dangerous voice, loud enough to bee heard by his two best friends but quiet enough not to be over heard by the other students. His voice combined with the expression in his eyes frightened Ron and Hermione more than they would have thought imaginable.  
  
"You what to know what I have been hiding from you Hermione, Ron? Are you sure you really want to know?" he asked and without waiting for an answer, he continued "Well, I'll tell you, but I promise you will regret forcing this out of me. First let me tell you that I was only willing to share with a few people, simply because if anyone else found out, it could mean the end of everything I hold dear, but I will tell you. The truth is this, Voldemort is not really gone, he never has been" and he gave a harsh smile at their shocked expressions before he continued "quite the contrary in fact, Voldemort is still very much alive, but no one can see him right now, do you know why? Well, do you?" he demanded and when Hermione and Ron hesitantly shook their heads no they earned another harsh smile from Harry "The reason you can't see him is because his body has been destroyed, and he is sharing his spirit with another right now. Do you know who the lucky person who has the honor of being called the keeper of Voldemort's spirit is?" again they both shook their heads "Me" he said simply before he turned on his heel and over his shoulder he said one more sentence "What do you think about my deep dark secret now?" and with that he strode from the hall with his scarlet cloak billowing out behind him.  
  
When the doors of the great hall shut behind his retreating figure, Ron and Hermione were pulled from their thoughts by Ginny who was just as furious as Harry had been.  
  
"Are you happy now?" she demanded of her brother and his girlfriend who just looked at the place they had seen Harry in shock  
  
Finally though, Ron spoke up "Is it true Gin" he asked in a whisper and was surprised to see tears well up in his little sisters eyes  
  
"Yes" she whispered back "Voldemort's spirit had been inside Harry since right before he showed up in the muggle hospital"  
  
"Why doesn't he leave Harry?" asked Hermione  
  
"Because he can't" said Ginny simply  
  
"Why not?" asked Ron  
  
"Harry won't let him" and these four words caused Hermione and Ron to pale even more  
  
"What do you mean Harry won't let him leave?" asked Ron once he finally found his voice again  
  
"Because if Harry were to allow that then Voldemort would be free to try to create another body or live in another wizard and use their combined powers for evil, but as long as he can control Voldemort then he can't do any damage" she explained  
  
"Why wouldn't he just tell us though?" asked Hermione  
  
"Because every day Voldemort is getting stronger and is constantly trying to get him to hurt those that are close to him and he knows that it is only a matter of time before Voldemort takes control of him and his powers. He already has enough on his mind trying to keep that from happening, he didn't need to worry about how you would take this as well. If any of the remaining death eaters learned about this, then they would stop at nothing to get to Harry and kill him so that their master would be free again. The more people who know about this, the more dangerous it is" she explained quietly "He was trying to protect you" she added as an after thought as she got to her feet and left the couple behind to digest what they had just found out.  
  
"How could we have been so stupid?" moaned Hermione as she buried her face in Ron's robes  
  
"Because that is what it seems we do best Hermione" he answered as he ran his fingers through her bushy hair trying to stop her shuddering as she cried into his robes "We'll talk to him after defense Hermione, and apologize for being the bloody idiots that we always are"  
  
She nodded her head into his robes and tried in vain to stop her tears for several minutes before the other students began to make their way from the great hall and to their first class. Shakily, she stood and walked hand in hand with Ron to their first class of the day, defense against the dark arts.  
  
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When the Gryffindor students arrived in the defense class, they were slightly surprised to see that both Sirius and Remus were present and looked as though they were both prepared to teach. The only time both professors taught a class together was when it was a particularly difficult practical lesson, such as the lesson about summoning a patronus.  
  
This caused a slight murmur of excitement to run around the room as they all took their seats. When Ron and Hermione sat down though, they realized that Harry was not in his usual seat next to them and began to look around the room for their friend, hoping he had not been angry enough to skip his favorite class. Once all but Harry had found their seats, Remus went to the front of the room and all conversation ceased immediately as the students gave him their undivided attention.  
  
"Good morning" he said pleasantly "As you have probably figured out, today's lesson will be practical." but before he could tell them what they would be doing, the doors burst open and Harry came striding in. Without even glancing at the other students, he made his way to the front of the class and stood by Sirius who gave him a curious look which Harry answered with an expression that clearly said 'not now'  
  
"As I was saying, I know you were given a little practice with the unforgivable curses during your fourth year and we will be continuing those lessons for the next several classes. We will be working primarily on the Imperious curse and how to best throw it off. Keep in mind that this is a very difficult task to master and most fully trained witches and wizards can't even begin to resist this curse so don't be disappointed if you don't succeed. Since Harry has mastered this, I have asked him to help us teach you how to do so as well. Now, one at a time we will be partnering up with each of you and putting you under the curse a couple times to see how well you react to it. The students working with Sirius will be, Seamus and Parvati, I will work with Neville and Lavender, and Harry will take Ron, Hermione, and Dean. Ok, split up and lets get to work" he said and the students all got to their feet and went to the one they were supposed to work with.  
  
Hermione and Ron cautiously approached Harry with Dean not far behind and he watched them skeptically as though he thought they were going to start questioning him again.  
  
"Harry, we wanted to apologize for the way we acted this morning" said Hermione hesitantly, not wanting to say more since Dean was listening.  
  
"Yeah mate, we were being a couple of idiots, can you forgive us?" asked Ron  
  
Harry surveyed the pair for a moment before he spoke "We need to discuss this later" he said without any expression on his scarred face. "Right now though, we had better get started before Remus gets angry. Which one of you wants to go first?"  
  
"I will" volunteered Hermione as she stepped forward and faced Harry  
  
"Ok, what you need to remember is to fight what I am telling you to do with all of your might, and just keep refusing no matter what, got it?"  
  
"I think so" she said hesitantly  
  
Harry lifted his hand toward her and without a word being spoken, she felt he mind empty of all thoughts and worries.  
  
Instantly, Hermione began to do jumping jacks and touching her toes in a rudimentary work out routine. Harry kept her under the curse for only a few minutes before breaking the connection. Hermione looked at him sheepishly as she stepped back to stand next to Ron and Dean.  
  
"That's harder than I remember" she muttered  
  
Harry then cast the curse on Ron and Dean who both had as much luck as Hermione throwing it off. By the time Remus called them back to their desks, they had all been under the curse three times but had come no closer to beating it. Harry walked to the front of the room where Remus and Sirius were speaking quietly.  
  
"Did Ron, Hermione, or Dean have any more luck that the rest of the students?" asked Sirius  
  
"None at all" said Harry dryly, but they could both tell he was distracted by something as he rubbed the bridge of his nose as though fighting a headache.  
  
"Maybe we should give them a demonstration" suggested Remus "I could cast the curse on one of you and they could watch to see how you throw it off"  
  
"We have time, why don't you cast it on both of us?" said Sirius as he looked to Harry for approval. Harry nodded his head and they again went to the front of the classroom.  
  
"Ok students, I'm going to cast the curse on these two and I want you to watch their eyes carefully to see them throw it off" he explained and he turned to Sirius. As soon as he cast the curse, everyone watched as his eyes changed from complete submission, to doubt, and finally defiance and he shook his head forcefully and grinned at Remus who lowered his wand.  
  
"Did you see what I was talking about?" he asked the class and a couple of them nodded their heads. "Your turn Harry, Imperio" said Remus with his wand pointed at the black haired boy.  
  
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Ginny had potions first thing in the morning and she was enjoying it just as much as she always did, not at all. They were brewing a mild pain killing potion, but it seemed as though none of the students could get it right, herself included since her mind was still on what had happened during breakfast. Snape was being just a terrible as usual, and so far Gryffindor had lost 30 points due to three of the students arriving late. Just as she was carefully adding two drops of the rare and expensive phoenix tears, the foundation of the castle shook violently and the windows in the upper areas of the dungeon shattered, showering all the students in fine shards of glass and a thick cloud of dust erupted from off the beams of the ceiling. Shocked, Ginny could only listen as more glass shattered from outside in the hallway and the castle continued to tremble. She was about to join her classmates as they took shelter under their work benches when she heard a gasp from the front of the room. Afraid someone had been injured by the falling glass, she looked up to see the potions master clutching his left forearm tightly, Ginny now knew what was happening. His eyes shot to her and they just starred at each other for an instant before they spoke one word in unison "Harry"  
  
Ginny jumped to her feet and ran toward the door with Snape right behind her, yelling over his shoulder for the class to stay put until someone came for them. As they sprinted up the stairs from the dungeon, Snape spoke to Ginny.  
  
"Where is Harry? What class?" he asked frantically as they were approaching the top of the stairs.  
  
"Defense" said Ginny breathlessly as she set foot in the entrance hall. They both stopped in shock for a moment and surveyed the disaster. The entire floor was covered in broken glass and the paintings were either on the floor or hanging at strange angles on the walls, knocked off by the still trembling walls. The many suits of armor that had been standing around the boarders of the room were all lying on the floor, making passage of the hall nearly impossible. Students were running through the mess as well as confused teachers. Minerva McGonagall ran up to the pair in a breathless huff.  
  
"Severus, do you know what is happening" she asked as she followed the pair who were now running up the marble staircase.  
  
"Yes, get all the students except for Gryffindor to their common rooms and lock them in. Put the Gryffindor students in the other house common rooms, it's not safe for them to go to their tower. Get all of the professors to Albus for instructions when the students are safe" he said as he continued to run down the winding hallways, following the frantic Ginny as she continued to tear down the hall, jumping over the debris as though it weren't there.  
  
"Why Severus, what is happening?" she asked  
  
"Potter" was all he said and this statement caused all color to drain from the deputy headmistresses' face.  
  
"Are you sure?" she asked, refusing to believe that what he was saying was true  
  
"Positive" he muttered as they went up another flight of stairs.  
  
"Very well, come on Weasley" she said to the girl who ignored her and kept running.  
  
"No, she needs to stay with us, she may be able to stop this if it is not too late" said Snape, and the other professor just nodded before turning and gathering a group of first years who had run by.  
  
A couple minutes later Snape and Ginny turned down the hallway the defense classroom was on and he put a hand on her shoulder to stop her from running into the room without caution as he spoke to her.  
  
"Ginny, the mark is back, stringer than it has been in a year which means that Voldemort has complete control. Remember, we are not going to be fighting Harry, but instead the most evil wizard in the world who now has control of Harry's powers, which to say the least are nearly infinite. Take your wand out and be prepared to defend yourself and the other students. We can't let anyone get hurt" he said in a very serious tone. With tears in her eyes, Ginny did as he had told her to do and the pair approached the room slowly with their wands pointed at the closed door as the castle immediately stopped shaking and became deathly silent.  
  
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A/N: I know, this is cruel, but I haven't given you guys a good cliff hanger for a while now, it was past due. Well, I'm going to try to answer some of your questions now, so here goes!  
  
John: No, they couldn't just give Harry a disease because, remember, a natural death is one that has not been inflicted by his or anyone else's hand, and that includes knowingly inflicting him with anything.  
  
Kateydidn't-who-should-sign-in: The descendant power is passed down to the first born son through the Gryffindor/Potter line, and Voldemort isn't a member of that line, but Slytherin, and I never said that the power from this line only went to sons, only Gryffindor's power does.  
  
Lady Lupin: Yeah, his arm and leg are healed now. Remember when he was stabbed by that poisoned blade and while Madame Pomfrey was trying to heal him and the shield thing that was around him went out? Well, she healed them then since it was the first time that had happened and the first time she could.  
  
Nkari: I'll give you a hint, there is something I mentioned back in chapter 30 that may give you a hint about that, but you have to find it yourself, but yes, they will find a blood relative of Voldemort, but not without some hard work, and no, it is not Draco.  
  
Coolone007: don't worry, I have no plans to kill Harry off or making him have a short life  
  
Gabriel: there are still many more chapters to come, don't worry, this is going to be loooong  
  
As for the rest of you, I don't have time to answer all of your reviews, but I really appreciate them, thank you so much for your nice feedback! I feel so happy that you like my story! Well if you want this up tonight, then I had better stop rambling and post it, so again thank you! And please review this chapter, but don't hate me for leaving it here, I do have the next one written and will post it within the next day or so, so review and you'll get it faster!! (hint hint) 


	34. Losing Control

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Chapter 34  
  
Just as they came to the closed door of the room, a dozen other professors met in the entrance hall, all but Dumbledore looking very confused and more than a little frightened.  
  
"Albus, what is going on? Severus said it has something to do with Harry, he and Ginny Weasley are on their way to the defense room" said the head of Gryffindor  
  
"I only have time to tell you that since Harry returned, he has been in possession of Voldemort's spirit, and he has been able to keep him from taking control of his body and powers until now. I don't know what happened to make Harry loose control, but I do know that we will not be fighting with Harry, we will be fighting Voldemort. Please try to immobilize Harry without injuring him if you see him, because if he dies, then Voldemort is free to take on another host" said the headmaster is a very firm tone to the gathered teachers "I will go find Severus and Miss. Weasley, the rest of you split up, I want two professors in each common room and the rest stationed around the school to prevent him from escaping if possible" he said and immediately all of the other professors left and he made his way to the defense hall.  
  
The pair stayed close to the ground as they entered the classroom, hiding their entrance by staying behind the desks, which for the most part were all tipped over. As they surveyed the room, they realized it was nearly destroyed, all the windows, like in the rest of the castle, had been shattered. The massive bookshelf that stood along the back wall had fallen over and the books were scattered all over the floor of the room. Anything and everything that could be broken was broken and the entire room was shrouded in a thick layer of dust, making the images blurry and difficult to see. As they surveyed the room, they caught sight of the students huddled together against a wall that was partially destroyed with bits of stone littering the floor all around them. Cautiously, Severus and Ginny eased over to the frightened group and took refuge behind the desks with them.  
  
"Are you all alright?" whispered Snape, and they all nodded their heads at him, all their eyes wide and frightened.  
  
"Good, now listen carefully. Where are Remus and Sirius?" asked Snape, and it was Hermione who answered in a shaky voice  
  
"Up front, they were standing next to Harry when Remus cast the imperious curse on him, but then the something happened, the glass all shattered and everything started shaking. What happened to Harry?" she asked desperately  
  
"Not now Granger, get the rest of the students out of here, but be quiet and don't let Harry see you. There should be a professor at the end of the hall who will take you all somewhere safe. Go on, get out of here!" he exclaimed in a whisper as he looked around the turned over desk, trying to catch a glimpse of Harry or the two marauders through the thick cloud of dust.  
  
The seven students crept toward the doorway as Ginny and Snape headed toward the front of the room, all apprehensive. Suddenly, they heard a loud slam and the open door shut hard right as the students had gotten to it, startling them all. Then they heard a voice coming from the front of the room, a very familiar voice, but speaking harshly and with bitter cold.  
  
"Now that isn't very polite, I didn't give you permission to leave did I? You all look so frightened of me, where is that famous Gryffindor courage everyone keeps going on about?" he said with a harsh, humorless laugh  
  
The dust suddenly cleared from the room and they got their first look at the one who had caused this terrible destruction. Harry Potter was standing at the front of the room surveying the huddled students with a look of disdain on his face, but his face was what shocked them the most. His features were the same as always, complete with the lightning bolt scar on his forehead, but the scar wasn't pink like it had always been, instead, it was the darkest black and a few drops of blood were weeping from it. Just then, the boy turned his attention toward Ginny and Snape who were to his right, and they saw his eyes. Instead of the brilliant emerald green, the eyes were blood red and shaped like that of a snake, causing them both to tremble in fear.  
  
"Ah, Severus Snape, the traitor, it is finally time for my revenge" Harry growled out as he sent a malicious smile at the potions master "But I think the most fitting revenge will be making you watch as I torture and kill your precious students, or maybe the werewolf and Black should suffer first. What do you think?"  
  
Snape got to his feet and held his wand level with the boy before him "Let the students go, if you want revenge on me, take it, but they are innocent, leave them out of it" he said defiantly as he kept one eye on Harry and glanced the area with the other for the two professors. He spotted the pair on the opposite side of the room, both with their wands trained on Harry as well, though they looked hesitant to use them.  
  
"What would be the fun in letting them go? I have so much power now; I have the urge to use it to torture these pathetic mudbloods and muggle lovers" he said as he raised his hand toward the huddled students and Ginny, suddenly, thick ropes wound around each of them and their wands soared into the outstretched hand.  
  
"If I didn't know better, I would think you three were either intimidated or scared of my powers, why don't you come out and face me so we can get this over with already, I am anxious to experiment with my new powers" he said in an almost bored voice.  
  
Slowly, the three men got to their feet and approached the red eyed youth with no small amount of fear. They all knew just how powerful Voldemort had been, and they also knew his powers were minimal when compared to Harry's. If Voldemort had indeed gotten control of all of his powers, the castle, and the entire wizarding world were already lost to them. They all came to a halt in front of the boy with their wands outstretched, praying that they could win but knowing they didn't have a prayer of doing so.  
  
Harry smiled his malicious smile and raised his hand in front of his body "This will be fun indeed" he said under his breath. Suddenly, three beams of red light shot out, one toward each of them. They all jumped out of the way of the curses and simultaneously fired stunning spells at the black haired boy in front of them, but he effortlessly deflected the curses and fired more of his own. They continued in this pattern for several minutes before a Harry succeeded in stunning all three men. Laughing he took their wands before he approached the unconscious form of his godfather. With a wide smile on his face, he held his hand over the man and woke him up. Sirius knew what he was about to do, he was going to cast the cruciatus curse on him and then when he had suffered enough pain, he would kill him. He had been one of the best aurors in the ministry before Voldemort's first down fall and had seen his fair share of the dark lords victims, and he had always hoped he would never be one, but looking up into those crazed red eyes starring at him from the face of his godson, he knew he was going to be like those bodies he had seen so many times before in just a matter of minutes and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the inevitable pain, but it didn't come.  
  
"Harry, please don't do this" said a quiet voice from somewhere to Sirius' right, a voice he immediately recognized as that of Ginny, and he opened his eyes and looked into the face over him.  
  
"Harry is dead, you pathetic little witch, and I am in control of his powers now. There is absolutely nothing you can do to stop me" said the cold voice as Harry again turned his attention to Sirius  
  
"Harry, I know you can hear me, fight him, don't let him win, don't let him hurt those you care about, please fight him Harry, you're stronger, you can beat him!" said Ginny with determination while tears fell from her eyes.  
  
"Quiet you muggle loving fool! He is dead!" yelled Harry, and he waved his hand at Ginny and silenced her with a spell. She tried desperately to speak, but even though her mouth would move, no sound would come out. Tears began to spill unchecked down her face as she watched Harry put his hand over the prone form of his godfather again, preparing to torture and kill the man and all she could do was watch and prepare herself for the same fate.  
  
Suddenly though, the hand that was hovering over his body began to tremble ever so slightly, but as they watched, the trembling progressed into violent shaking and Harry backed up hastily as he clutched his head in his hands.  
  
"NOOOOO!!!" he screamed out as he fell to his knees on the hard floor. Sirius hurriedly got to his feet and starred at the figure of his godson who continued to scream and moan in agony. He grabbed the wands that were lying on the floor forgotten and woke the other two professors, not taking his eyes from his godson for an instant. Snape joined him as he watched Harry and Remus hastily released the students and told them to run to the first professor they saw. Most of them did so without question, but Ron, Hermione and Ginny tried to stay behind until Remus physically pushed them out and closed the door behind them before turning his attention back to the still screaming boy on the floor. As suddenly as it began though, the screaming stopped and the body on the floor in front of them fell limp in a heap of black robes.  
  
"Is he ok?" asked Remus as the three cautiously approached the unmoving body  
  
"I don't know, keep your wands on him while I check" said Sirius as he knelt by the boy and slowly rolled him over. His scar had gone from pitch black to a deep, raw red as though the wound were brand new and not sixteen years old, but it was still bleeding steadily. Nervously, Sirius reached for his wrist to feel for a pulse and was shocked to find that his black robes were soaked through with blood on his left arm as well. Once he felt the pulse in the wrist, he pushed Harry's robes up and looked at the dark mark that was burned there. Like his scar, the tattoo was dark red as though new and bleeding freely. Swearing under his breath and hearing the men behind him do the same, he tore a strip from Harry's school robes and wound it tightly around his arm to try and staunch the flow of blood. He then heard Snape whisper from behind him.  
  
"The mark, it's fading," he said in a relieved tone  
  
They all breathed a sigh of relief at those words, Harry had somehow managed to take control again, how, they didn't know, but at the moment all that mattered was that he somehow defied the odds again. After several minutes of silence, they heard a weak moan come from the raven haired boy and he slowly opened his eyes, which they were all relieved to see were green again.  
  
"Harry, are you ok?" asked Sirius in concern as he helped the boy sit up.  
  
"Yeah, I think so" he said weakly as he surveyed the destruction "Oh God, I can't believe I let this happen" he said quietly  
  
"Harry, relax, we can talk about this later" said Sirius in a soothing tone  
  
"Did.did anybody get hurt?" he asked hesitantly as he looked at each one in turn, fear evident in his voice  
  
"No, I don't think so" said Snape "everyone was sent to their common rooms after the explosion"  
  
"Thank Merlin" he said wearily as he closed his eyes and gave into unconsciousness from the exhaustion  
  
Sirius gathered Harry into his arms, and was surprised to find that even though he had been at the castle for several months he was still surprisingly thin and light for a seventeen year old boy, and gently moved him to the stretcher Remus had conjured before he stood and the three professors and student made their way to the hospital wing. Halfway down the hall though, they were met with the headmaster who gave them all a questioning and worried look.  
  
"He's fine, he somehow regained control before Voldemort could do any serious damage" said Snape and they continued on their way, passing only a handful of curious professors before they reached the hospital wing.  
  
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Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were waiting in tense silence in the Ravenclaw common room for word about what had happened in the defense room after they left. They were worried not only for the sake of their friend, but also for their professors who were left with him. When Remus had cast the Imperious curse on Harry, something had happened that none of them had expected and with no warning what-so-ever, an unseen force had reverberated throughout the entire room, causing one wall to partially fall and everything else in the room to shatter. Instinctively, they had dived for shelter under their desks, not having any idea about what had just happened, but several minutes later, Ginny and Snape had come in and the truth had become painfully obvious, Voldemort was in control of Harry and his powers.  
  
They had tried to escape with the rest of the students, but the door to the classroom had slammed shut in Hermione's face. They all spun around when they had heard his cold voice speaking to them, and had been terrified to see red eyes flashing within the face of the-boy-who-lived. Only the three of them had known what was happening, and if possible, they were even more frightened than their classmates since they were aware of the fact that they were in the same room as Voldemort. They had watched in complete silence as he bound them and then went to battle with the three professors. Ginny had tried to plead with Harry, to encourage him to fight back, but he had silenced her with a motion and they had been forced to watch in terror as he stood over the crumpled form of Sirius Black and prepared to kill him, Ginny and Hermione closing their eyes, not wanting to see the man die, but just as they were feeling hopeless that they would all be killed, a small amount of hope had returned to them. Ron had taken a sharp intake of breath when he noticed Harry's arm begin to shake, causing the two girls to open their eyes in hope, and they watched as he backed away and fell to the floor, his entire form shaking violently before he screamed and fell to the cold floor, unmoving. Once Remus had released their bonds, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione had not followed their classmates as they ran from the room in terror, instead, they had tried to run to Harry's side, but their professor had insisted they leave, and so they had reluctantly walked down the hall until they met up with the other Gryffindor seventh years who were all crowded around the Deputy Headmistress at the end of the hallway. She had taken them hurriedly to the nearest common room, which had turned out to be that of Ravenclaw, and they had been there for over an hour now, waiting. The room had been eerily quiet since they had arrived, its occupants, a mixture of all four houses, had been speaking to their friends in quiet whispers, speculating on what had happened. It was now common knowledge that Harry had had something to do with the explosions that had racked the castle, thanks to the fact that the only witnesses were all present in this room, and Hermione, Ron, and Ginny could only dread what would happen when the rest of the school found out. The trio was sitting in one of the corners of the room, as far away as possible from the other students and the pair of professors that had been stationed to guard them, Sinastra and Flitckwick, and thus far none of them had spoken a word. Ginny was the first to break the silence.  
  
"What do you think is going on?" she asked in a barley audible whisper  
  
"I don't know" answered Ron meekly  
  
"Do you think Harry is going to be all right?"  
  
"I'm sure he will Gin, he's strong" answered Ron in a reassuring tone  
  
"I feel so terrible about what happened this morning" Hermione said with a muffled sob "what if that was the last time we could have talked to him and I accused him of lying to us?" she asked with a tear stained face, looking to Ron  
  
"I feel the same way Hermione, I feel awful for saying those things to him" said Ron  
  
"What if that was what allowed you-know-who to get control?" asked Hermione with wide eyes  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Ginny  
  
"From what I've seen, he probably gets stronger and Harry weaker when he feels negative emotions or negative curses are put on him" she said logically  
  
Ginny just looked at her older friend in shock as the pieces of the puzzle slid into place. Ron though, had doubts.  
  
"I don't know Hermione, I mean, surely if just thinking something negative could cause Voldemort to take over, why hasn't he before now? I mean, he dueled with that Auror and stayed in control and he said you-know-who has been inside him since the beginning of summer" he said  
  
"No, I think she's right Ron" said Ginny with certainty  
  
"What do you mean Gin?" he asked his little sister  
  
"Listen, you remember the morning Sirius and everyone returned from the ministry, right before Christmas?" asked Ginny  
  
"I will never forget that night" said Ron with a shiver, remembering the horrors of seeing Harry receive the dark mark  
  
"Well, that morning, I went with Harry to meet with the headmaster and Sirius, Snape, and Remus and Harry told us a few things" she began  
  
"What things?" asked Ron impatiently  
  
"Well, that was the day he told us about you-know-who being inside of him. He said that anytime he had doubts or was angry that you-know-who spoke to him, trying to get him to do things that he normally would not even think about doing"  
  
"What kind of things did he try to get him to do?" asked Hermione in a small voice  
  
"During the meeting, he told him that we would all turn away from him now that we knew the truth, and that he would get expelled and sent to Azkaban and have the kiss. He said that I would break up with him too. And during the duel, he tried to make him kill that Auror, and when he refused, he cast some sort of curse on him" she explained, noticing that both Ron and Hermione's faces were now void of all color  
  
"What does this have to do with Hermione's theory?" asked Ron when he finally found his voice  
  
"You see, during the duel, Harry was angry because he had just been stabbed, and Voldemort was able to speak to him and curse him, and when we were in Dumbledore's office, he was worried about how we would react and Voldemort was speaking to him again. He told me that any time that he is afraid about something or angry with someone then Voldemort speaks to him more than normal, trying to convince him that his worries are true. What happened this morning was probably a combination of him being angry with you two and then having an unforgivable curse cast on him. It probably made Voldemort strong enough to take control of him!" Ginny finished in triumph  
  
"But why wasn't he able to get control when Harry was put under the cruciatus curse?" asked Ron  
  
"I'm not sure, but I do know that Harry said Voldemort was getting increasingly stronger, so maybe he was just now strong enough to take over with the combination of the fight and dark magic being cast on him" said Ginny  
  
"Ok, this is starting to make sense now" said Ron "But are you saying that Voldemort has been trying to get Harry to doubt us by telling him lies all year and he has ignored everything he has said?" asked Ron in amazement  
  
"Yes" said Ginny  
  
"Bloody hell" was all he could say before the portrait hole to the royal blue room opened up to reveal Professor Snape.  
  
Utter silence fell over the room as everyone took in his dirty and snagged robes and disheveled hair. He gazed around the room until his eyes fell on the three in the corner and he made his way over to them. When they saw he was headed their way, they all stood and began to worry about what he was going to say.  
  
"Ginny, Ron, Hermione, please come with me" he said quietly when he had reached them. Nodding mutely and not even realizing that he had called them by their first names for the first time ever, they followed him from the room with all the other students looking at them curiously.  
  
They followed Snape in silence from the Ravenclaw common room all the way to the hospital wing, all three of them in surveying the damage to the school in shock. The Ground was covered in a thin layer of glass and dust that had fallen from the high beams while the castle had been shaking, and they had to be careful to watch where they were going to avoid tripping over toppled suits of armor or fallen paintings. Due to the state of the castle, it took them twice as long as normal to reach their destination, and when they did, they were met by Dumbledore and Remus, who looked just as bad as Snape at the moment, covered in dust, but he had a painful looking bruise on his forehead. His once new robes were now slightly torn from the falling debris, but his expression was one of relief.  
  
"Thank Merlin you three are all right" he breathed as the three students approached  
  
"Yes, we were fortunate that there were no serious injuries" said Dumbledore with a small smile  
  
"Sir, what happened to Harry? Is he ok?" asked Ginny in a shaky voice  
  
"Yes Miss. Weasley, Harry will be fine in a couple of days. His powers were almost completely exhausted when Voldemort took control of them, and the struggle he went through exhausted him physically as well, but other than that, he is completely fine" said the headmaster in reassurance to the young girl. When they heard this, all three students relaxed and let out breaths that they hadn't realized they had been holding.  
  
"When will we be able to see him?" asked Ron  
  
"He's asleep right now, Sirius is with him, but we will let you know when he wakes up" said Remus with a small smile  
  
"What I wanted to speak to you about is rather important" said the headmaster suddenly "It is probably common knowledge by now that Harry was the one who was behind what happened this morning" he said while he surveyed the students, who all nodded to show what he said was true "besides Harry himself and Sirius, we are the only other people who know the truth about what happened, and we need to keep it that way. Unless I am very much mistaken, the rest of the remaining death eaters noticed the return of their dark marks and will be searching for their master now, but it must be kept secret that Harry is holding Voldemort" he said forcefully.  
  
"Albus, what are you planning on telling the rest of the school, as well as the press, they are undoubtedly on their way already" said Snape  
  
"The other professors are currently fixing the main areas of the castle so that the students can congregate in the great hall and then return to their proper common rooms. I will address the entire school tonight at dinner, and the story they will receive will not be too different from the truth. I will tell them that a dark wizard somehow cast a mind control spell on Harry and tried to make him harm the students and staff, but that he managed to resist the urges. That is all they need to know, and all they will find out" said Dumbledore, as though he were daring anyone to contradict his wishes, which of course, no one would.  
  
"Do you have any idea what allowed Voldemort to become powerful enough to take control of Harry all of a sudden?" asked Snape  
  
"The only thing we know is that as soon as Remus cast the imperious curse on him, he lost control" Dumbledore said in a tired voice  
  
"Headmaster, we may have come up with something more" said Hermione hesitantly, looking up to the aged man, seeking permission to continue  
  
"Please Miss. Granger, enlighten us" said the headmaster with a slight twinkle in his eyes  
  
"We were talking about the times that Harry said the voice was the strongest, and the time you-know-who cursed him. During all of these times, Harry was either feeling very negative emotions, such as hate, anger, or fear" she explained "and then this morning, we got into an argument with him, and he was very angry about the things we said, and then he was subjected to one of the most evil curses, which combined probably made him weak enough to allow him to loose control" she finished in a rush  
  
The three professors studied her for a few moments while they considered what she had said before Snape voiced his opinion.  
  
"It makes sense Albus, that night in the hallway, he was terrified by seeing me holding that dagger, and that probably allowed for Voldemort to keep him under the curse for so long" he said thoughtfully  
  
"What are you talking about Severus? When was Harry cursed!?" demanded Remus and the students just looked at him accusingly  
  
"Christmas night, I called Harry up here to discuss a few things with him, and Severus tried to present him with the dagger of Slytherin, but before he could give it to him, Harry banished it and collapsed on the floor, and Voldemort held him under the curse for several minutes before releasing him" explained the headmaster "What you are saying though does explain several questions, I believe you have discovered the truth Miss. Granger" he said with a small smile "The question now is what to do to prevent this from happening again and prevent the remaining death eaters from finding him" he said gravely  
  
"What can we do? There is no way we can help Harry with this, is there?" asked Remus  
  
"The only thing we can do to help him is help him train to increase his mental strength to make it harder for Voldemort to take control again, and try to keep him away from any dark magic until he is strong enough to withstand it, but until he is strong enough, he must remain hidden from the death eaters, he won't be powerful enough to fight off Voldemort again for some time" he said in a voice filled with emotional pain  
  
"Surely you aren't thinking about sending him away from the castle, this is the safest place there is against dark wizards" said Remus in shock  
  
"I'm afraid we have no other choice Remus, the remaining death eaters are nearly impossible to identify due to the lack of the mark, any one of them could come onto the grounds at any time. Harry must be kept far away from them until he is strong enough to face them"  
  
"Where is he going and for how long?" asked Ginny  
  
"I'm afraid I can't tell any of you that, but he will be able to speak to you before he leaves, I promise. You must not tell any of your school mates about this conversation though, I will tell them that Harry has gone away to recover, but that is all" he answered "Now, I must ask you three to go to the great hall, and help the professors there repair the damage as quickly as possible, Severus, go with them. Remus, you had better get your head looked at by Poppy, it can't be to pleasant" he said in closing as he turned and headed toward the entrance hall to do his share in the clean up efforts.  
  
Dejectedly, Ginny followed Ron, Hermione, and Snape to the great hall, refusing to believe that Harry would be gone again in just a couple days, and she would have no idea where to, or when he would return again.  
  
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A/N: Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter! I really appreciated them! Ok, time to answer a few more questions:  
  
  
  
Pouchie: I will tell you now that Shaw is not Voldemorts descendant, and how he got the dagger will be discovered later  
  
John: Did this answer your question about the imperious curse, if not, here it it-Voldemort is stronger whenever Harry is feeling negative emotions, or is hit by dark magic, and those two things combined caused Voldemort to take control of him  
  
Pudadingding: yes, Voldemort did leave some of his powers in Harry when he tried to kill him, but at no point did Voldemort give Harry any of his blood, so they are not related in that sense. I guess they could be blood brothers now that Voldemort has Harry's blood, but that doesn't help Harry at all since the only way he can destroy Voldemort is by using three people, a relative of Harry, a relative of Voldemort, and Harry himself, and Harry can't act as two of those people, so they need someone else. About Voldemort now having Gryffindor blood, he does, but remember that only the first born son of one of Gryffindor's descendants will have his power, and Voldemort wasn't born to a Gryffindor descendant, so he doesn't have the power, but yes, Harry does. Does that make sense? If not, e-mail me and I'll try to explain it better.  
  
Greer Harper: look at the answer to John's question if this chapter didn't explain that.  
  
Everyone else: sorry if I gave some of you panic attacks with the cliff hanger, but was it worth it? Probably not since you are probably going to kill me now for what just happened huh? Well, too bad! If you have any questions, leave them in a review. I hope you liked this chapter, and please review it to let me know what you think! 


	35. Saying Goodbye

Chapter 35  
  
It was quiet, far too quiet compared to normal, he realized. There were no sounds of birds in the trees, or the pounding of student's feet as they ran to class trying not to be late. He couldn't hear the sounds of the other occupants of the room snoring, or moving around at all. But the most obvious sound that was missing was that of the voice of Voldemort hissing suggestions or insults to his mind. Blearily he opened his eyes and reached to his right for his glasses, but before he could move more than his hand, he felt someone slip his glasses on his face for him. Blinking as the world came into focus, he saw the drawn and concerned face of Sirius hovering over him.  
  
"Hey" he said, his throat sore and voice hoarse  
  
"How are you feeling Harry?" asked Sirius in concern  
  
"Fine" he choked out "Thirsty" he added, and was relieved when Sirius turned around and picked up a glass of water and handed it to Harry who eagerly drank it.  
  
"Thanks" he said, his voice coming out more clearly and his throat no longer scratchy.  
  
"Now, how are you feeling Harry? The truth this time" said Sirius  
  
"I told you, I feel fine, other than being a bit tired. How long have I been out for?"  
  
"Almost three days, it's Thursday, about five in the afternoon"  
  
"I can't believe that this happened" Harry muttered under his breath  
  
"What are you talking about Harry, you couldn't have prevented this"  
  
"I should have fought harder to keep control" he said in irritation and disgust  
  
"Harry, you were under the imperious curse and from what Hermione and Ron said you had already been under enough pressure that morning, what with you guys fighting, there was nothing you could have done differently" insisted Sirius  
  
"You don't understand Sirius, if only I had fought him harder that I might have been able to stop him!" he yelled  
  
"Harry, listen to me right now. I may not know what was going on in your head, but I do know that you fought so hard that you were physically exhausted. You have been sleeping for three days without a sleeping potion and you haven't even so much as flinched that entire time. If you had fought any harder, you would probably be dead! You did everything you could plus some! No one blames you and everything is fine now!" yelled Sirius in return  
  
"Everything is not fine Sirius. I remember exactly what happened, I could see and hear everything , I cursed you and Remus and Snape, and I tied my best friends and Ginny up, I called Hermione a mudblood, and insulted Ginny. I almost KILLED you Sirius and you're saying everything is fine! Do you have any idea how dangerous I am to all of you?! Voldemort could very easily get control of me again, only next time I might not be able to fight it. I could kill everyone I care about, and destroy the only home I have ever known! I can't risk that happening Sirius, I have to do something to prevent it!" he said, but his voice became less angry as he said these things and more desperate "Do you have any idea how difficult it was to see what I was doing to all of you and not being able to do anything to stop it? If I ever hurt any of you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself Sirius, you, Remus, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron are the closest thing to a family I have ever known, I don't want to hurt you" he said in a quiet voice as he looked intently into his godfathers blue eyes.  
  
Sirius didn't know how to react to what Harry had just said, he had no experience in what Harry was going through, he truly was the only one who stood between good and evil, the only one who had any control over what would happen to the world. It was an enormous weight for anyone to bear, yet this wasn't the first time that Harry's actions would determine the future. He had no idea that Harry would remember what had happened, and he wished with everything he possessed that there was someway he could forget, though he knew that was impossible. All he could do was look into his godsons eyes, desperately trying to come up with the right thing to say, but as he looked into those desperate, pain filled eyes, he knew there was nothing he could say to make everything all right, so he settled for the next option. He stood from his chair and pulled Harry into a tight embrace. At first, the thin boy tensed up, but after a moment, his body relaxed into the embrace. They sat like that for several minutes until Harry had collected himself and Sirius held him out by his shoulders at arm's length.  
  
"Thanks Sirius" Harry said quietly  
  
"Harry, please believe me when I tell you that you did the very best anyone could have expected of you, and that everything is fine now. Nobody blames you for anything, trust me"  
  
"I believe you Sirius" said Harry, though that sentiment was not conveyed in his eyes and Sirius knew it would be a long time before Harry actually believed his own words.  
  
"Well, I guess I had better let Albus know you are awake, he wants to speak with you, as does a certain red headed girl and a pair of Gryffindor seventh years and a Slytherin" said Sirius with a small smile as he released Harry's shoulders "Is it all right if they come to see you now?" he asked before he left  
  
"Yes, I would like to talk to all of them, but please get the headmaster first, I need to tell him a few things" said Harry as he settled back into the bed with his back propped up against the headboard.  
  
"Ok, I'll be back in a couple of minutes" he said as he left the hospital wing, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Harry was relaxing as he did so.  
  
Not long after Sirius left, Dumbledore entered the infirmary with a small smile on his face as a greeting.  
  
"Hello Harry, how are you feeling" he asked kindly as he settled in the chair next to his bed  
  
"Fine sir, just a bit tired" answered Harry, resigned to the fact that he would have to tolerate the pleasantries before the old wizard would be willing to speak about the point of this meeting.  
  
"Good, can you tell me what happened during your defense class?" he asked, and Harry was amazed that the pleasantries were over so soon  
  
"Well, I was helping Remus and Sirius demonstrate how to throw off the imperious curse and everything was fine until Remus put me under it. I was already angry at Ron and Hermione, and when the curse was cast, I was thinking about what I had said to them that morning, and by the time I realized what was happening, it was too late to do anything to stop it." he began quietly, looking straight ahead as though he were watching the events he was speaking about on the wall in front of him  
  
"At first, it was just like the other times, when Moody cast the curse on me, but then something happened. It was like my blood was on fire, I don't know how to describe it, but I felt a part of myself being pushed back, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I tried desperately to fight him, and apparently I lost control of my magic when I lost control of him, because I saw all the glass shatter and the wall fall. My scar hurt and so did the dark mark on my arm, but I couldn't stop him and before I knew it he was in control. I could hear what he was thinking, and saying, and see what he was doing, but I couldn't stop him. I could only watch, it was like I was trapped and I couldn't get out. But then something happened, I was standing over Sirius and he was about to kill him, when Ginny started pleading for me to try and beat him. He heard her and cast a silencing spell on her, but it was too late for him. I had heard her words and I knew that she at least still had faith in me, and I started to fight him. The pain was even worse than when he got control to start with, the dark mark was burning and it felt like my head would split along my scar, but I couldn't stop fighting him, if I did, then Sirius, and Ginny, and everyone else would die. After what seemed like eternity, I beat him and was back in control. You know what happened after that better than I do, sir" he finished, only now meeting the blue eyes of the headmaster "Sir, I'm sorry, but I can't let this happen again, I can't risk the lives of everyone in the castle like this anymore. Is there anything I can do so nobody is at risk anymore?" he asked desperately  
  
"Harry, I have already considered this and I respect your decision on this matter, and I agree with you. Your magic has been completely exhausted, and if Voldemort were to try to take control again, I doubt you would be able to fight him off. His remaining followers know something is happening with their master, and they know that the reason for the return of their marks is residing at the castle"  
  
"How did they find out!" exclaimed Harry, interrupting the headmaster  
  
"Don't worry Harry, I told the ministry and the rest of the students that a powerful dark wizard cast a mind control spell on you and tried to make you take over the castle in Voldemort's name. They don't know that he is here, but they think his successor is, and that that person is the one who took control of you"  
  
Harry sighed in relief at this statement "So they don't know the truth?" he asked hesitantly  
  
"No, only the professors, Ron, Hermione and Ginny know. I didn't know if you wanted Mr. Malfoy to know the truth as well so I haven't told him"  
  
"I'll ask Ginny to tell him later" he said "So what have you decided to do? I can't very well stay here, at least not until my powers return and the death eaters calm down"  
  
"Well Harry, nowhere in the wizarding world is safe right now, it would only take one exposure to a dark curse, or potion, for Voldemort to take control again" at Harry's baffled expression, he elaborated "Miss. Granger discovered that every time you are exposed to dark magic or negative emotions Voldemort draws strength from these negative things" he explained  
  
"Well, now things make more sense" Harry muttered under his breath, causing Dumbledore to smile faintly  
  
"I hope they do Harry, but back to your question, the wizarding world is not safe for you right now, and won't be until you regain your powers, and since you are not of age according to muggle law, there is only one place you can go until your powers are strong enough for you to return, or you come of age" but before he could continue, Harry interrupted him again  
  
"NO! You can't be serious sir!" he yelled  
  
"Calm down Harry, it is the safest place for you to be" he said in a gentle tone  
  
"Calm down!? What do you mean calm down!?" he demanded "You know the hate goes both ways there, I will not go" he said, sounding almost like a defiant five year old  
  
"Harry, it is the only place that you will be safe. Don't worry, there will be someone coming to check on you everyday and help you with your studies, so you won't be entirely cut off from the wizarding world" he said with a small but reassuring smile  
  
"Who will be coming?" asked Harry  
  
"Either myself, Sirius, Remus, or Severus will come at least once daily. Between the four of us, we will help you refocus your powers, as well as continuing your schooling as much as possible away from school"  
  
"What about my NEWTS?"  
  
"You will take them when you return, we can't very well administer the practical aspects of the exams in a muggle house"  
  
"When will I be able to come back?"  
  
"Whenever your powers have returned to their full strength"  
  
"Can I see my friends while I am there?" he asked hopefully, but he already knew the answer  
  
"I'm afraid not Harry. No one except the five of us should know where you are hiding, and there is too great of a risk of you being found if anymore people knew you were at your families house" he said gently  
  
"I figured as much. How are you going to convince the Dursley's to allow magic in their house?" he asked with a mischievous smile on his features "You know they despise anything 'abnormal'"  
  
Dumbledore chuckled at this "Leave your relatives to me Harry, I'm sure I can convince them that this is for your good, as well as their own" said the headmaster with a mischievous glimmer in his eyes as well  
  
"I guess things will work out for the best then" sighed Harry "How long before I have to leave?"  
  
"Sirius will take you later tonight if Madame Pomfrey sees fit to release you"  
  
"So soon? Will I be able to see Ginny and my friends before I leave?"  
  
"I'm afraid there is no time for you to see them all, but I will allow Miss. Weasley to come in for a few moments" he said with regret as he stood and went toward the doors "I will come to your home tomorrow morning" he said over his shoulder as he went out the door.  
  
A few minutes later, the large oak doors were pushed open once again and a small red haired blur came running into the room and launched herself onto Harry.  
  
"Oh Harry! Thank goodness you're all right!" she exclaimed into his hospital pajamas and he could feel her small frame being racked by silent sobs. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close  
  
"Sh Ginny, it's all right" he said softly into her bright red hair "everything will be fine"  
  
"Oh, Harry, Dumbledore said he was sending you away. Please say he was lying, you can't leave me again" she said desperately  
  
"Ginny, I'm sorry, but I have to leave. None of you are safe as long as I'm in the castle, I have to go, but I promise you that I will come back. I can't live without you, I will come back" he said forcefully, and she removed her face from his clothes and looked him in the eye.  
  
"When are you leaving?" she asked with a tremble in her voice as she directed her tear filled gaze on him, and she was surprised to see that his eyes were shining with unshed tears.  
  
"Soon, Sirius is taking me tonight" he said softly  
  
"Where are you going to go?"  
  
"I can't say Gin, I'm sorry" he said as he looked down to the floor "But Sirius and Remus will know where I am and I'll send you letters through them" he promised  
  
"I'm going to miss you so much Harry" she said again as she broke down into a fresh set of sobs "I was so scarred that you were gone for good, I was so afraid I was going to loose you" she muttered quietly  
  
"I'm sorry Gin, but you know what?" he asked her gently  
  
"What?"  
  
"You were what helped me fight him, I heard your voice and saw your face and I knew there was still at least one person who had faith in me, you were the reason I was able to fight him" he confessed, and she rewarded him with a teary smile  
  
"Really?" she asked  
  
"Really, I owe you more than you can know" he acknowledged  
  
Just then, the hospital wing doors opened again and Sirius and Dumbledore entered, levitating Harry's trunk behind them.  
  
"Harry, we must be going" said Sirius sadly  
  
"I know" he said to his godfather "Just give me a minute to get ready" he said, and untangling himself from Ginny, he got to his feet and went behind the curtains to change. When he was dressed, complete with his robes and cloak, though he decided to leave his hair down if to accomplish nothing other than to frighten his family, he returned to Ginny's side.  
  
"Ginny, I'll be back before you know it" he said as he pulled her into a hug "I love you"  
  
"I love you too Harry, I'll miss you" she said into his robes  
  
He then released her and nodded toward Sirius who approached him. Harry waved his hand at his trunk and shrunk it small enough to put into his pocked, but was shocked to be light headed after just doing that small amount of magic. He looked to Dumbledore in alarm.  
  
"Like I told you Harry, your magic was all but exhausted, it will be some time before you can do even simple spells without becoming tired"  
  
Harry nodded his head with a weary smile before looking to see that Sirius was holding a portkey in his hand. Without saying another word, he looked to Ginny who still had tears running down her cheeks and touched the portkey and with the familiar tug behind his navel and a blur of colors, he left Hogwarts and found himself standing next to his godfather on a dark Privet Drive, a street he hadn't seen since the summer after his fifth year.  
  
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A/N: Please don't hate me! Just imagine how much fun Harry is going to have being able to do magic at the Dursley's house! It will be good, I promise. Thanks for your reviews on the last chapter, and I'll answer a few questions now: let's see, yes I did see the movie (very good in my opinion); everyone now knows just where I'm sending Harry, but can anyone guess where I'm going to send him next (if you can, you win all the money I have, but it's not much); I'm 20 years old, and a full time college student; no, Malfoy is not a relative of either Voldemort or Slytherin, at least not in my story (but I think he is in the books) I think that's most of them that weren't answered in this chapter. Next chapter should be up tomorrow or Tuesday, so enjoy! And please remember to review, I really appreciate them! 


	36. Dursley Fun Begins

Chapter 36  
  
Once Harry left the castle, Ginny walked out of the infirmary in a state of silent shock, not believing he was gone yet again. It seemed that they had spent more of their relationship apart from each other than they spent together, she thought miserably to herself.  
  
When she entered the common room, she saw Ron and Hermione sitting together on the couch in front of the fire. When they heard the portrait hole open, they turned to see who it was, and the entire common room fell into an anxious silence. That night at dinner, three days before, Dumbledore had addressed the students and told them that a dark wizard had cast a mind control spell on Harry and taken control of his powers and they were worried about their housemate. There had been no word about Harry's condition until Ginny had be asked by Sirius to come speak with Harry and they were anxious to hear what she had to say, but she ignored them and made her way to her brother's side in silence.  
  
He put his arm over her shoulder and pulled her into a hug, and Hermione stood and embraced her from the other side as she broke down in tears. The trio sat in silence for a long time, rocking back and forth in an attempt to comfort Ginny before she managed to some what collect herself enough to lift her face from her hands and look at them.  
  
"He left" she said quietly, confirming their unasked question "Sirius took him somewhere, but he couldn't tell me where, and he doesn't know when he is coming back"  
  
"Oh Ginny, I'm sorry" said Hermione as she hugged the younger girl again  
  
"Me too, Gin" said Ron  
  
"I wish he didn't have to go, but he said it was for the good of everyone else that he had to leave. He sad we would all be in danger if he stayed" she said as she furiously whipped the last of her tears away "I wish he could just be like everyone else for once in his life and be able to do what is best for HIM than what is best for the rest of the world. It's not fair!" she exclaimed  
  
"Ginny, calm down" pleaded Ron  
  
"But I'm so frustrated Ron, Harry is always in the middle of everything, why can't he just be a normal seventeen year old wizard and lead his own life! I'm going to miss him so much"  
  
"I know Gin, so will we, but it is just one of the things that comes with the territory, when you are Harry Potter's girlfriend or best friend, you have to be willing to make some sacrifices, we've all learned that by now" said Hermione with a watery smile  
  
"Yeah, unfortunately we've all learned that lesson the hard way" muttered Ginny "Thanks Ron, Hermione, but I'm tired I think I'll go to bed" she said as she stood and made her way to the girls dormitory as the couple looked at her retreating back in sympathy.  
  
"I can't believe they sent him away!" said Hermione furiously once Ginny was gone  
  
"I know Hermione, I can't either" said Ron as he pulled his girlfriend close, allowing her to cry on his shoulder  
  
"What are we going to do without him?"  
  
"I don't know Hermione, I don't know. We just got him back and now he's gone again" said Ron. They both then lapsed into silence and starred into the fire, where they were found the next morning by the rest of the Gryffindor students.  
  
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When Harry and Sirius appeared on Privet Drive, they silently made their way to Number 4, walking side by side in the dark, they made an interesting sight to anyone who would happen to look out their windows as they passed. Sirius was wearing an outfit similar to Harry, black pants, shirt, and robe, but his cloak was a very dark blue color that appeared black by the moonlight that lit their path, where as Harry was wearing his scarlet and gold cloak with the jeweled phoenix clasp that Ginny had given him. Sirius had his shoulder length hair pulled back into a neat pony tail, but Harry had left his own hair, which was several inches below his shoulder now, loose. Both of them had the cowls of their cloaks pulled over their heads, hiding their features from view in the shadows of their folds. As they walked side by side, it was easily noticeable that they were nearly the exact same height, and with their robes hiding their builds, it was impossible to tell which was which to anyone who didn't recognize their respective cloaks or other parts of their outfits. The only other difference between the two that could be seen was the fact that Sirius had his wand tucked protectively into his belt, and Harry was bearing the dagger of Slytherin in his own belt, since he had no need for his wand anymore, it was kept by Dumbledore at the castle. The only reason he was wearing the dagger was for his own desire to see the faces of his relatives when they saw it, and the anticipation brought a smile to his face. The pair stopped just in front of the Dursley's home and Harry looked at it apprehensively for several minutes before Sirius spoke up.  
  
"I'm sorry you have to stay here Harry" he said quietly "I tried to convince Dumbledore to let me take you to the manor, or to Remus' cottage, but he said you wouldn't be safe anywhere in the wizarding world. The death eaters will look for you there immediately, but no one knows where your relatives live, and the house is already covered by more protection spells than you can imagine" he said in a hushed voice, to not be overheard by anyone that may be lurking in the shadows.  
  
"I know Sirius, I just don't want to leave Ginny and everyone else again" answered Harry, never taking his eyes from the house before them  
  
"Hopefully you won't have to stay here for long Harry, and both Remus and I will take her any letters you may want to send" said Sirius, trying to console his godson as much as possible  
  
"Thanks Sirius" he said "I guess we had better get inside" he said in a depressed voice  
  
"Don't worry about the muggles Harry, I have a feeling they will treat you better than they ever have before, after all, you will be introducing them to you infamous godfather whom they believe is an escaped convict tonight" he said, and even though Harry couldn't see his face, he knew there was a wide grin upon it  
  
"You're right Sirius, this might actually turn out to be fun, after all, I can do magic now, since the ministry can't track wandless magic, right?"  
  
"Of course, add that to the fact that there will be a fully trained wizard coming to see you for several hours every day, and the presence of that dagger and your sword and they'll have to be crazy to try and mess with you" he said reassuringly  
  
"Well, are you ready to meet the Dursley's?" asked Harry  
  
"Quite, though I must tell you I have had the honor of meeting your aunt when she came with her parents to drop your mother off at the train. I think I turned her hair orange once back before fifth year, or was it green?" said Sirius, as though he were thinking to himself and trying to remember the exact color  
  
At this, Harry burst out laughing, the mental picture of stuck up aunt Petunia with bright orange or green hair flashing to his mind. Before they knew it, they were standing in front of the door, and Harry raised his hand and rapped loudly upon it.  
  
They heard a shuffling sound from inside the house and within seconds the door was thrown open to reveal a flustered looking Vernon Dursley, with a pale Aunt Petunia and Dudley cowering behind him. Harry didn't even have time to contemplate the reason as to why Dudley was there at all before his uncle began speaking, or more accurately, growling at the two wizards on his doorstep.  
  
"What are you doing standing out there in those clothes boy! What if the neighbors saw you?" he demanded, but he seemed to realize that there was more than one person standing before him, and his eyes traveled from the one with the dark cloak on to the one standing beside him in the scarlet cloak who had just stepped forward and into the house, the other following behind him as they walked into the living room and stood before the fireplace, gazing at the family who as still standing in front of the opened door. Harry chuckled slightly to himself as he spoke to his family.  
  
"Uncle Vernon, what would the neighbors say if they saw you standing with the front door wide open in the middle of the night?" he asked, and he heard Sirius try to stifle his laughter as well.  
  
"Now you listen here boy" said his uncle as he closed his door "I don't know what you did to have to come here during the middle of the term, but know this, I will stand for none of your cheek while you are under my roof. Now tell your friend to leave, he is not welcome here" he said, the entire time standing only inches from Sirius' face, thinking the ex-convict was his nephew, since he hadn't seen who had spoken earlier. Sirius, thinking this was the perfect opportunity to scare the disgusting muggle man, slowly reached his hands up and lowered his cowl, plastering the most terrifying smirk on his face as he did so. Vernon backed up rapidly when he saw Sirius' face, tripping over the end table and falling in a heap in the floor at the feet of his wife and son. Harry quelled his urge to laugh and instead spoke in a calm voice.  
  
"Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, Dudley, I would like you to meet my godfather, Sirius Black. Sirius, this is my uncle and cousin, I believe you have met my aunt before" and at this statement, aunt Petunia grabbed a fistful of her hair and checked to make sure it was the proper color. When he finished speaking, Harry lowered his own cowl, and his families faces paled even further when they saw his hair and the two new scars on his face.  
  
"Pleased to meet you" said Sirius as he surveyed the Dursley family "There are a few things the headmaster wished for me to discuss with you before I leave tonight" he began as he settled himself in one of the arm chairs in the living room. Harry followed suite, and as he did so, Dudley caught sight of his dagger.  
  
"H.Ha.Harry, w.why do you have a s.sword?" he stammered out, and Harry decided to have some fun, since he could.  
  
"Oh, this?" he questioned as he pulled the dagger from his belt  
  
"Uh, hu" said Dudley  
  
"This isn't a sword Dudley, this is a dagger that I was stabbed by a couple of months ago, and it was rewarded to me after I defeated the man who stabbed me in a duel" he explained, watching his cousins face change from frightened, to awe filled, to frightened again, and Harry decided to have a little more fun with his obese relative. He reached into the pocket of his robe and withdrew his shrunken trunk, and while he directed one of his hands to levitate it in the air, his other hand gave a small wave and the trunk returned to it's original size, but it was still hanging in the air. He then flicked his wrist of his right hand and the lid of the trunk opened, and he held his palm opened and the Gryffindor sword flew into his opened palm. He then waved with his left hand, which had been levitating the trunk and it disappeared with a quiet pop. The entire time he had been doing this, he saw his families faces pale out of the corner of his eye, and a smirk cross Sirius' face. He then looked back at the slack jawed Dudley, fixing his expression into one of calm indifference before speaking.  
  
"This is a sword Dudley" he began "The sword of Gryffindor to be exact which belonged to my most distant ancestor, one of the greatest wizards to ever live. The sword just came into my possession this year, but I used it back in my second year to kill a Basalisk, which is a snake that is about sixty feet long that can kill you if you look into it's eyes, or if it bites you" he explained in a sort of bored tone, but he really enjoyed the expressions that crossed his families faces, and judging by Sirius' expression, he did as well.  
  
"Well now, let us begin" said Sirius once Harry had finished speaking "As you can see, Harry is able to do magic while he is with you, and everyday from ten in the morning to two in the afternoon, either myself or one of two other professors or the headmaster will be coming to tutor Harry so he can continue his studies" he said in a pleasant tone as though he were discussing the latest quidditch standings.  
  
Upon hearing his words though, Vernon's face changed from pale shock to purple outrage in an instant "Lister here, I will have none of that funny business going on under my roof! We are not to blame if the boy is too slow in his studies to remain at that freak school of his. I will not stand for private tutoring to be given to him just because he can't keep up with the rest of his classmates and gets kicked out of school" he bellowed, and Sirius again smirked at the man.  
  
"I'm afraid you don't understand Mr. Dursley" he began "Harry is not here because he can't keep up with the other students, quite the contrary in fact. You saw what Harry did a moment ago with his trunk?" and when the man nodded, he continued "Well, no ordinary wizard can do magic like that without a wand, most can't do more than one spell without a wand before they become exhausted and Harry just did about five at once and he doesn't even show any stress from it. You see, it was recently discovered that Harry is the most powerful wizard that has ever lived. We will be helping him to train his powers and how to best control them. He is here instead of at the castle because many are after him so they can control his powers, and until he is properly trained, he can't resist them, so he will remain here until he has control of all of his new powers and it is safe for him to return" he finished, giving the muggle family all level looks as though daring them to argue with him, and when they didn't say anything, he stood and looked at Harry.  
  
"I had better get back to the castle Harry. I will be here tomorrow morning and we will work on some of your animagus training" he said and Harry stood as well  
  
"Tell Ginny hi for me if you see her Sirius, and I'll see you in the morning" he said, but as he backed away, a sudden thought crossed is mind "Oh, I forgot Sherlock, he kind of got frightened the other day, I think he is somewhere in Remus' office, could you bring him to me tomorrow?" he asked hopefully, and laughed as his godfather shuddered. He still hadn't gotten used to the small serpent.  
  
"I'll try to find him tonight, but he had better not bite me" he threatened  
  
"If he does, I'll shed blood just for you Sirius" he said with a smile as he gave his godfather a quick hug before the older man disappeared with a small pop. Harry then turned to face his relatives. "I'm going to go to bed now, if you don't mind" he said politely, and before they could say anything, he had already gone up the stairs and locked himself in his room. Even though he didn't want to admit it to his relatives, doing those few simple spells had left him exhausted. He fell asleep that night dreaming about Ginny and how much she would have appreciated the looks on the Dursley's faces when he dared to do magic right in their living room and when Sirius had told them just how powerful he was.  
  
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When Harry awoke the next morning, the sun was just barley shining through the window in his small bedroom, showing him that it was still quite early. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep again since he had already awoken, he threw his legs over the side of his bed and knelt beside his trunk. He pulled out his clean cloths and a clean set of robes before he set off toward the bathroom for a quick shower. As he made his way from the bathroom to his bedroom, he was pleasantly surprised to find the door to Dudley's bedroom standing opened. Deciding to have himself a little bit of early morning fun, he silently pushed the door opened and looked into the room, which was much larger and better furnished than his own. He found his whale of a cousin sitting before his computer playing some new game, and he walked unnoticed until he was standing directly behind the blonde boy. He watched Dudley's character in the game, an animated man who was currently fighting with another man, but the opponent was not faring to well, and Dudley's character was beating him to a bloody pulp, even as the other character was lying on the ground before him, he didn't stop and Harry was beginning to feel quite nauseous as he remembered being in a similar position, so he finally spoke.  
  
"How can you be entertained by something so disgusting?" he asked in a quiet voice  
  
Dudley, just noticing he was there, jumped about a foot into the air and dropped his control as he turned to look at his cousin.  
  
"What are you doing in here?" he demanded, but his voice was shaking and Harry was far from frightened  
  
"I wanted to see what you find so interesting in these games you play" said Harry in a perfectly convincing tone, deciding to put Dudley torture off until a later time  
  
"Oh" was all Dudley said, but it was obvious he was nervous in Harry's presence  
  
"Well, would you care to explain this fascination of yours to me?" asked Harry as he sat himself down on his cousins bed, and Dudley turned around completely to face him, his hands twisting constantly in his nerves  
  
"It's just fun" said Dudley in as calm of a voice as possible  
  
"Why is that fun to you?" asked Harry, truly curious now  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Why is it fun for you to play a game in which one person beats another person to death like that for no good reason?"  
  
"Well, I don't know. But why do you care? It's just a game, things like that don't really happen in real life" he said with conviction, as though he truly believed in his words  
  
"Oh, don't they?" asked Harry as he raised an eyebrow skeptically  
  
"Of course they don't" said Dudley, although he didn't seem quite as sure of himself now "People fight all the time, but nobody would really beat someone up like that, would they?"  
  
"Dudley, why are you here right now? Why aren't you at Smeltings anymore?" asked Harry, deciding on a different approach  
  
"Mum and Dad pulled m out of that ruddy school when the nurse tried to tell them that I either had to loose weight or I would fail because I couldn't go to my sports classes anymore" he answered, but he didn't seem the smallest bit ashamed about it "How about you? What's the real reason you are here instead of that school of yours? The last we heard was that you're godfather got custody of you but that you had disappeared to somewhere" he asked, and for the first time in his life, Harry could honestly say that his cousin was interested in his life  
  
"Do you really want to know?" he asked hesitantly  
  
"Yes" answered Dudley, leaning forward in his chair in anticipation  
  
"Well, my godfather, Sirius, does have custody of me now, but last spring, just over a year ago actually, my school was attacked by the dark wizard, Voldemort, that killed my parents. I fought him for a little while, and then I sent him and his followers to a place where they couldn't hurt anyone else, but I had to go with them to make the spell work. The next three months I was stuck with them, and they tried everything they could think of to convince me to release them, but I wouldn't. When the last of them had died, I left and went to a muggle hospital in London and Sirius and a couple of my other professors found me there a week later and took me back to the castle. Everything was getting back to normal, until a dark wizard managed to take control of my powers and I almost destroyed the castle and killed my friends, and I was barley able to resist him, but all of his followers know of my powers, which were pretty much drained while I fought him. But now, some of his remaining followers are after me, and we can't identify them until it's too late, so they have free access to the castle, and until I get my powers up to full strength again, they could take me and use a mind control spell to make me use my powers for evil" he explained as he met his cousins face.  
  
Dudley looked, for lack of a better way to describe it, like he had just seen a ghost. His face was void of all color and his jaw was hanging open in shock, his beady little eyes starring at Harry and not blinking. Finally though, he pulled himself together and uttered one syllable.  
  
"Oh"  
  
"I had better get to my room" said Harry as he glanced at Dudley's clock on the nightstand "Sirius will be here in an hour and I need to finish a letter to Ginny for him to take back" he said as he got to his feet and walked toward the door, but his cousins voice stopped him in his tracks  
  
"Who's Ginny Harry? I heard you say something about her last night too"  
  
"Oh, Ginny's been my girlfriend for the past two and a half years, she's also my best friend Ron's little sister" he explained, a small smile on his face as he spoke of the fiery red headed girl.  
  
"What is she like? I've never had a girlfriend before" admitted Dudley, and Harry turned to look at his cousin again  
  
"Well, Ginny is the smartest, funniest, most caring person in the world, and the most beautiful" he admitted with a slight blush creeping up his cheeks  
  
"Do you have a picture of her?" asked Dudley in anticipation  
  
"Yeah, I do" said Harry and he out his palm up and an instant later a photograph appeared in his hand. He looked at it longingly for a minute before handing it to Dudley. It was one of his favorite pictures of the two of them, taken less than a month before. They two of them were sitting together in one of the plush armchairs in the Gryffindor common room, she was wrapped up in his arms and his left hand was holding hers, and he could plainly see the ring he had given her on her third finger, catching the light of the flames from the fire behind them every now and then. As he watched the picture, he chuckled to himself as watched their antics. He had, unknowing to her, reached up and freed her long copper hair from the knot at the back of her head, causing the long tresses to fall around her face, turning every shade of red imaginable as the firelight behind them illuminated her features. In retaliation, she had turned and begun to tickle him mercilessly, until they had broken out into an all out tickle war, Ginny withering around on his lap, unable to fight off his attacks, both of them laughing the entire time. Finally, after torturing her for enough time, he had leaned down and captured her lips in a light kiss, and she had leaned up to meet him, wrapping her arms around his neck. A second later, they separated and he watched as she looked up at him and said the three words that still made him feel weak in the knees, even though he couldn't hear the words, he still say them 'I love you Harry' and he had looked down at her and said 'I love you too Gin' before she settled back into his arms and they sat in silence, still locked in each others arms.  
  
"She is pretty" said Dudley, and Harry was startled that he had forgotten Dudley was there, he had been so lost in the memory of that night.  
  
"Yes, she is" whispered Harry, the foolish grin still on his face as he took the picture back into his hands "I have to go" he said suddenly and he left his cousin without saying another word, intent on writing to Ginny as soon as possible.  
  
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A/N: Ok guys, here is the next chapter, how do you like it? I won't be able to update again until probably Monday because I'm going home tomorrow for Thanksgiving and internet time is rare at my parents house, sorry, but I will have time to write out the next couple chapters on my lap top while I'm there hopefully, so I can post the next chapter as soon as I get back. Please review this one though, and let me know how it is! Sorry if there some mistakes, I didn't have time to re-read it before I posted it, if I did, you wouldn't get it until Monday and I didn't think you would appreciate that, so here you go! 


	37. Lessons and Conversations Part I

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Chapter 37  
  
Harry was so engrossed in his letter to Ginny, that he didn't even hear the doorbell ring, or the heavy footsteps enter his room.  
  
"Morning Harry" said a cheerful voice from the doorway. Harry jumped to his feet and spun around to see the smiling face of his godfather  
  
"Sirius, don't do that, you almost gave me a heart attack" he accused as his heart slowed to its normal rhythm.  
  
"Sorry, I didn't think you were so focused on, what are you so focused on?" he asked as he approached Harry's desk  
  
"I'm writing a letter to Ginny, could you take it to her when you go back?" he asked hopefully  
  
"Sure, but you still can't tell her anything about where you are in case someone else reads it" he warned "Finish it quickly so we can get started, we have a lot to do today" he said as he settled himself on Harry's bed  
  
Five minutes later, Harry put the letter into an envelope and handed it to Sirius who slipped it into his robe pocket  
  
"So, what do you want me to do?" he asked as he stood in the middle of his small room  
  
"Patience Harry, you need to understand that your magical strength is nowhere near what it was a week ago. It took you seventeen years to build up that power and twenty minutes to drain it, so you need to start small" he said with a pointed look fixed on Harry  
  
"But Sirius, I feel fine, just tell me what to change into and I'll be able to do it, I know it" he said in a confident tone  
  
"Are you sure you're feeling well enough to transform?" asked Sirius uncertainly  
  
"Yes, just give me an animal to change into already"  
  
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door, irritated at being interrupted, Harry waved his hand without approaching the door and it swung open with a loud bang to reveal the trembling form of Dudley. Harry relaxed a little since it wasn't his aunt or uncle at the door, but he was still irritated.  
  
"What do you want Dudley, I'm in the middle of a lesson" he snapped, a little more shortly than was necessary  
  
"I was just going to ask if I could watch your lesson. I was wondering what kinds of things you learn at school" he said in a meek whisper "But if you don't want me to know, that's all right" he said quickly as he turned to leave  
  
Harry looked at Sirius for a moment, who shrugged his shoulders to say he didn't care before he looked back to his cousin  
  
"Come in Dudley, but you have to be quiet and promise not to tell your parents or any of your friends what you see or I'll have to erase your memories. Go ahead and sit at the desk" he said, noticing with some satisfaction the lack of color on Dudley's face when he threatened to erase his memories. The larger boy ambled over and sat stiffly at the desk without making a sound and watched with interest.  
  
"Where were we Sirius?" he asked, focusing his attention back to his godfather  
  
"You were just telling me how you could do anything I asked of you" he said with a mischievous grin on his face  
  
"What are you planning on asking of me, I don't quite feel comfortable with that expression on your face" he admitted warily  
  
"Nothing to difficult yet, I have some big plans for the coming weeks, but for now I just want you to change into a form you're already familiar with"  
  
"Which one?"  
  
"Why don't we just stick with the raven right now? You've done that one enough you should be able to do it in you're sleep" he said as he stood from his place on the bed and stood in front of Harry "Are you sure you're up to this?" he asked one more time  
  
"Yes Sirius, I'm sure, I feel fine" said Harry as he rolled his eyes "Honestly, you're starting to mother me again"  
  
"Fine, but be careful. Now, remember to keep all of your senses focused on how they feel when you're in that form and picture yourself changing in your mind" he said as he watched Harry close his eyes and take a deep breath.  
  
He immediately felt his body getting smaller and feathers covering his skin, but this time was different from all the others, he was having a very hard time keeping his attention focused on the transformation but after a few moments, he opened his eyes and was looking up at Sirius and an astounded Dudley.  
  
"Good, now change back" said Sirius  
  
Within a few seconds, Sirius and Dudley saw Harry changing back to his original shape, but as soon as he was completely back to normal, he fell to the floor.  
  
"Harry!" exclaimed Sirius as he knelt on the floor beside the crumpled form of the black haired boy, Dudley by his side.  
  
Harry had felt himself changing back to normal, and had focused all of his energy on the transformation, but as soon as it was completed, he found that he couldn't even support his own weight from the exhaustion.  
  
"Harry, are you ok?" asked Sirius, and Harry blearily opened his eyes and looked into the concerned blue ones above him  
  
"Yes, just tired, and don't even say I told you so" he warned, the exhaustion evident in his voice as he allowed his eyes to close again, falling into a deep sleep within seconds.  
  
Sighing heavily, Sirius gathered the sleeping body up in his arms and gently placed him on the bed, pulling the blankets over him before he moved the desk chair next to it and looked up to see that Dudley was still standing in the middle of the room.  
  
"What happened to him?" he asked  
  
"He pushed himself too far to fast, he wasn't ready to do that yet" said Sirius in an irritated tone  
  
"Why not?" asked the blonde boy  
  
"Yesterday was the first day he was awake for several days, he fought a dark wizard and exhausted all of his magical powers as well as physically exhausted him. It will take a while until he is back to normal" he explained as he got to his feet and pulled a thick book from Harry's trunk and opened it and started to read. "We're not going to be doing anything else today, you'd probably be bored just sitting here, but I'm going to hang around until he wakes up" said Sirius, and Dudley, sensing that that was his dismissal, left the room and shut the door soundlessly behind him. Sirius settled himself comfortably in the chair and began reading Harry's newest quidditch book while he sat protectively over his godson, berating himself constantly for thinking Harry was feeling as well as he had claimed.  
  
It was several hours later when Harry awoke again, and after apologizing repeatedly to Sirius, the older man left to return to the school. The next two weeks were spent with Sirius as the only wizard Harry saw. They practiced day after day on the animagus transformations, and by the end of the second week, Harry was back to his former level as far as that aspect of his training was going, able to transform time after time without getting even the smallest bit tired. Every morning, he would give Sirius a letter to take to Ginny, and he would receive one from the red head as well before the lessons began, always watched intently by Dudley. When Sirius was satisfied by his progress, he informed his godson that another professor would be coming the next morning to begin his next round of lessons, though he couldn't say who it would be yet, leaving Harry anxious and the smallest bit apprehensive.  
  
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The next morning, Harry awoke feeling refreshed and anxious for his next lesson, that is until he saw who was giving it. At ten sharp, his bedroom door opened to reveal the familiar sight of a certain sallow skinned potions master. Harry jumped to his feet from his place on the bed in surprise.  
  
"Good morning sir" he said immediately  
  
"Sit down Potter" was all he got in response as the tall man pulled the chair from the desk and sat across from him.  
  
"Sir, forgive me for being rude, but I didn't think potions were going to be included in my training" he said after several minutes of awkward silence  
  
"They're not, I am here to teach you hand to hand combat, using that sword and dagger you now own, but after what Black described happened during your first lesson with him, I am doubting that you are ready to begin just yet"  
  
"I feel fine sir, I just get tired if I do too much magic, I'm sure I can handle physical stuff" he said quickly  
  
"As you wish Potter, but rest assured that if you pass out, I will not be carrying you to bed and tucking you in and sitting beside you for six hours like your godfather" he said as way of warning  
  
"Sirius stayed here that long?" Harry asked in amazement  
  
"Yes, and he was planning on staying until you woke up but Albus summoned him back before you did" he answered curtly "Now get dressed in some proper clothing while I go into the back yard and set up some invisibility and sound proofing wards so we don't attract the muggles" he said as he got to his feet "And bring both the sword and the dagger with you" he added as he left the room.  
  
Harry, a little nervous but anxious at the same time stood as well and went to his closet, assuming that by 'proper clothing' Snape meant robes and cloak so he dressed in just that, a pair of plain black robes and his old black cloak, not wanting the one Ginny had given him to get ruined. He then pulled his hair back away from his face to keep it out of his way and made his way down the stairs, sword in one hand and dagger in the other. He went through the kitchen and was met with the angry faces of his aunt and uncle, both who started slightly when they saw the scar on his face which until then had been concealed behind his hair during the previous weeks.  
  
"What do you think you are doing boy?" demanded his uncle  
  
"Going to meet my professor for my lesson" he responded in a level tone  
  
"Now you just listen here, we agreed to allow you to continue your lessons here, but in your room where nobody else could see you, not in the back yard in clear view of all of the neighbors" he yelled  
  
"I can't very well do this lesson in my bedroom Uncle Vernon" answered Harry as he continued to the door  
  
"Why not?" demanded his aunt  
  
"Because, today, professor Snape is teaching me hand to hand combat, using these" he said as he raised his weapons to show them, which they had overlooked until now  
  
"I will not have the neighbors seeing you sword fighting in the back yard and showing off your abnormality you freak!" bellowed his uncle "And I will not have you corrupting my son any more either!" he added as an after thought  
  
"I'm afraid you have no say in the matter Mr. Dursley" said a silken voice from the doorway  
  
The three inhabitants in the kitchen spun around to see the potions master leaning on the door frame with his wand drawn in one hand and a long silver sword in the other, both trained to the floor at the moment but in perfect position to strike if needed. "Potter, let's get started" he said and Harry, grateful for this fight being avoided for the time being followed him outside.  
  
"Do they always speak to you like that?" asked Snape once they were away from the house  
  
"Yes, for as far back as I can remember, but at least they stopped making me do the chores now" he answered truthfully  
  
"What were they talking about, what abnormality" he asked, and he was truly curious and not condescending in any way  
  
Harry laughed for a moment before he answered the confused man "Magic, they think having magic and being a wizard is an abnormality and that this makes them better than us"  
  
"So you have always been treated like this because you were a wizard?"  
  
"Yes, but until I got my letter from Hogwarts I didn't know the reason they treated me so badly, they said they were trying to stamp the magic out of me" he answered and was shocked that he was being so open and honest with the man who had made the past six years of his life miserable  
  
"You didn't even know you were a wizard until you turned eleven?" asked the man in amazement  
  
"Nope, Hagrid told me on my birthday when he took me to Diagon Alley, until then I just thought I was a freak of some sort that lived in a cupboard" he answered  
  
By then they had reached the middle of the backyard and were just standing and talking as old friends might do  
  
Snape seemed slightly uncomfortable for a moment at this new revelation before he spoke again.  
  
"What do you mean you lived in a cupboard?" he asked  
  
"Just that, until I got my letter I lived in the cupboard under the stairs and the bedroom I'm in now was Dudley's second bedroom" he answered with a shrug of his shoulders "Not the perfect and spoiled childhood you thought it was is it?" he asked with a small smirk on his face at being able to prove the man's suspicions wrong  
  
"No, defiantly not" answered the potions master quietly "Well, we should probably get started, I have to be back by 2:30 for a lesson" he said and the he showed Harry the basic positions for sword fighting and a few offensive and defensive moves, and by the end of the lesson, Harry was sweaty and sore, but he had a wide grin on his face and even Snape looked pleased.  
  
They continued to practice all the basic moves for several days, but when it became obvious to the potions master that Harry could learn no more through talking and examples, he suggested they put the lessons to use with a quick contest, which Harry readily agreed to. The fight lasted only minutes before Harry had the older mans sword in his hand and trained on the man before him who was lying on the grass, clearly defeated.  
  
"Well, it appears you are just as much of a natural with this as you were with quidditch he said as Harry gave his sword back and joined him on the grass, smiling broadly. At the mention on quidditch though, Harry's smile faded, he was going to miss the last match of the season and of his Hogwarts years, which was to be held tomorrow between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw for the house cup. He pushed those thoughts from his mind tough in favor of another subject he had been wanting to ask Snape about for several months.  
  
"Sir, can I ask you a personal question?" he asked hesitantly and after a few moments, the man nodded "How do death eaters manage to keep the dark mark a secret from other people when it is visible?" he asked in a small voice, looking at the ground  
  
Snape sat silent for several minutes before answering in the same quiet voice "Pretty much the same way you are doing it Harry, by always wearing long sleeved shirts and being careful"  
  
"Is there any way to make it disappear or at least go invisible?" he asked hopefully  
  
"No, there is no way to get rid of it or magically conceal it once you have it I'm afraid, but just remember that just because you might have the mark, you didn't take it on willingly and you don't believe in what it symbolizes" he said reassuringly "I need to go, Albus will be here tomorrow" he said as he got to his feet, Harry nodded and watched the man disappear with a pop before he laid down on the grass and fell asleep in the warm sunlight, reliving the most disturbing, depressing, and shocking conversation he had heard during his time in the cave with Voldemort and his followers.  
  
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	38. Conversations Part II and a New Twist

Chapter 38  
  
The cavern was dark and cold, like it had been for the past weeks, too many to count now. He was still chained to the hard wall and every inch of his battered body hurt like hell. He hadn't eaten since he had arrived here, and he didn't know how or why he was still alive, but he wished he weren't. He was so weak he couldn't even lift his head to look around, but he knew if he did that every muscle would scream in protest of the agony that small movement would cause. If he desired to open his eyes, they would be met with the same thing he had seen too many times already, blood. He was tired of seeing his blood. He knew that he should have bled to death more than once already, but for some reason, he never did, even though more deep cuts were added to him every day. Try as he might, he just couldn't figure out why he just didn't die already, and apparently neither could the death eaters, even though they had tried everything in their power to solve that problem now. He had not only been tortured beyond belief or recognition, but he had been hit with the killing curse on more than one occasion, but the only good that accomplished was to kill the current host of Voldemort and leave him to move on. The pain of the cruciatus was now welcome to the pain of the killing curse. Every time he was hit with the green light, his body felt as though it were being pulled apart at the smallest level and reassembled, successfully knocking him unconscious for several days. His arms were being forced to support his entire weight, and his broken one had lost all sensation, which was almost a good thing considering the bone shattering curse that had hit him the day they found him alive had succeeded in shattering not only the bones in his arm and hand, but his shoulder and collar bone as well. His broken leg though still felt just as painful as the day the curse had hit it, partially due to the fact that his captors enjoyed kicking it when they were near. Wearily, he opened his eyes when he heard voices coming from somewhere near him, straining his ears to listen to the conversation and praying that they still had failed to find any type of escape. There were only about seven death eaters left now and Harry knew it was only a matter of time until Voldemort would have killed them all, and he looked forward to that day in hopes that he would be put out of his terrible misery as well when that day came. Voldemort, who was currently residing inside of Avery was speaking to Lucius Malfoy, and their conversation was unexpected to say the least. They were speaking about their families of all things.  
  
"My son may be a traitor to us now, but I know if my wife would have just allowed him to transfer to Durmstrung like I suggested then he would have become one of your best and most loyal followers" said Malfoy, his voice laced with regret  
  
"Tell me of your wife Lucius, why didn't she support your decision about the boy?" said Avery/Voldemort  
  
"Don't get me wrong master, she is a loyal supporter of you, but she didn't want Draco to be so far from home, it would have been impossible for him to come home for breaks if he were so far away and she loved him too much to go without seeing him for four years" answered Lucius  
  
"I must say I agree with her decision, even if it resulted in the boy being corrupted by that fool Dumbledore and the traitor Snape" answered the other man  
  
"Why do you say that my lord? Her insistence in the matter prevented you from being successful in killing Potter's girlfriend" said the blonde man, curiosity evident in his voice  
  
"Because if I had done the same I would have an heir today Lucius" he answered cryptically  
  
"My lord?" asked Lucius, truly confused by now  
  
"Let me tell you a story Lucius, a story about my younger years" began the other man, and his voice took on a distant quality as though he were reliving happier times "When I graduated from Hogwarts, just over fifty years ago now, I began to travel the world, looking for adventure and knowledge. I was naïve and carefree, much like Potter and your son actually. I stopped for some time in London on my way from one adventure to another, and I went to a small pub. I was eating dinner by myself when a woman came up to me and asked if she could join me. I said yes and we ended up talking. She was very beautiful, with long strawberry blonde hair and green-blue eyes. She was very intelligent and funny, and had me laughing all night, and before the sun rose the next morning, I had fallen in love. The only problem though was that the woman was a muggle. Now at this point in my life, I disliked muggles because of what my father had done to me and my mother, and I believed that only purebloods should be allowed to attend Hogwarts, but I didn't hate the entire race of them as I do now, so I allowed myself to love the woman.  
  
Our relationship progressed quickly, and six months later we were married in a small private wedding with only the two of us and her parents present. She had told me that she had an older brother who was married, but I never met the man or knew his name. We were happy and living in a small muggle town in Britain, close to her parents. I continued my studies around the world and became interested in the dark arts, and met many beings who later helped me to become as strong as I now am, but I never told Susan what I was. About a year later, she gave birth to a baby girl, the most beautiful baby I have ever seen, and it was at this time that I told her I was a wizard since I knew our daughter would be a powerful witch when she came of age. She told me she still loved me and didn't care that I had magical powers, and thinking she was being honest, I let the subject drop. We continued to live in our small house and I continued to advance in the dark arts until our daughter turned two. I came home one evening and Susan was punishing our daughter for summoning a toy to herself, saying magic was bad and that she shouldn't use it to get what she wants. I became angry and cast the cruciatus curse on Susan, how dare she try to tell my daughter that magic is a bad thing when she herself is nothing but a lowly muggle.  
  
I left that night to go to a meeting with one of my new contacts, leaving my wife unconscious on the floor and my daughter in her play pen. I returned early the next morning to find them both gone, with a note saying that Susan would not allow me to hurt her or our daughter again. I was furious, that muggle woman had taken my only child away from me. I searched for several weeks before I found Susan, but the child was not with her. I tortured her for quite a while, trying to convince her to tell me where she had taken my daughter, but she never did, and eventually her mind cracked and I killed her. I searched for my daughter for many years, but I never found her, her grand parents didn't even know where she was, and I was so angry that I killed them as well for their ignorance. I never did find my daughter, and eventually I gave up and concluded my transformation into the most powerful dark lord the world has ever seen. I hated all muggles now because of my father and wife, and I take pleasure in making them suffer. Do you remember the day I attacked Hogesmeade, Lucius, during your final year at Hogwarts?" he asked suddenly, and the blonde man nodded "Well, that day, I saw a girl, a fifth year, who looked very similar to how my daughter would have looked, she even had my original eye color and the same hair as her maternal grandmother. Her face was identical to that of Susan, and I knew I had found my daughter, but she didn't know who I was, she was terrified of me and ran back to the castle with her classmates before I had a chance to speak to her.  
  
After that day though, I kept an eye on her every opportunity I got, and when I could not watch out for her myself, I asked one of my followers who was in her house to do the same. I never got a chance to speak directly to her, but I did find out that she had been raised by her uncle all of her life. I tried again during her sixth year to get her, but my followers were stopped by someone they described as wearing a red cloak and bearing a powerful staff. I never did figure out just who he was, but he prevented me from ever speaking to my daughter. I never again tried to capture her though, but I continued to watch her grow into a beautiful woman. I was even present at her wedding three years after she graduated hiding in the shadows of the forest next to where the ceremony took place, but I still didn't speak to her. By this time it was obvious that she was a loyal follower of the light side, and I knew there was no way I could turn her, her values and ideas were already set, and she chose the enemy. I had given up on my daughter and I ever having any type of relationship. The only time I actually did speak to my only child was right before I killed her, and even then I didn't tell her the truth" he finished "So you see, if only I had been smart enough to keep my daughter close once I found her, I would have a very powerful heir now who was loyal to my ideas, but I didn't and now I have nobody to follow in my footsteps if I die here. Enough of these thoughts though, I believe my enemy has been eavesdropping on our private conversation. He needs to learn some manners before he dies, don't you agree Lucius?" he asked and Harry could feel their eyes on him immediately  
  
Lucius was silent after hearing this tale, he had never known that his master had ever even been capable of any type of love and he had just admitted to loving a muggle and his half blood daughter. "Yes my lord, he does need to be taught a lesson" he said as he too got to his feet  
  
Harry, on the other hand, was completely shocked, not by what was coming, but by what he had just heard. Voldemort had actually admitted to loving someone, and a muggle none the less. Who would have thought that the sadistic bastard would be capable of any kind of love? But if he had truly loved someone, then why had he killed his wife and later his daughter? This was even harder to imagine than the love. Harry knew that he loved Ginny, and it seemed that Voldemort had indeed loved this Susan, so how could he kill her? Harry could never hurt Ginny, he was sure of this with every fiber of his being, and he knew then that they weren't as similar as Voldemort liked to tell him. His pain receded slightly as he thought of the red headed girl who was his one true love, and right then he prayed that she would remember him even after he died, because he knew he could never forget her. With a small, depressed smile on his face at the thought of Ginny, he was pulled back into the blissful painlessness of unconsciousness the instant the cruciatus curse was cast on him.  
  
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Harry awoke with a start, sitting up and gulping in a deep and desperately needed lungful of oxygen as he remembered the dream. Every night a new memory would come to him, but until now, they had all been trivial memories filled with blood and torture, but this one was different, it was important and his heart filled with hope for a moment as he thought of the truth, Voldemort had a daughter, and he had said she fought for the light side, maybe they could find her and convince her to help with the spell and potion to destroy the evil wizard! But as soon as the hope came, it vanished when Harry remembered that the girl was dead, killed by her own father's hand.  
  
Sighing heavily, Harry got to his feet, only now noticing that dusk had begun to fall. He gathered up his sword and dagger and tucked them both into his belt and then pulled his heavy cloak tighter around his shoulders before entering the house. He was completely ignored by his aunt and uncle as he grabbed a sandwich from the fridge and climbed the stairs in exhaustion and desperation. He ate his dinner quickly and then changed into his pajamas and fell into bed, thinking again of the dream and deciding to tell the headmaster about it tomorrow, even though he knew there was nothing he could do to change the fact that the only person that could help him was dead. He then fell into a deep sleep, only to awake when the sunlight began to filter through the window early the next morning.  
  
When the headmaster arrived at ten that morning, Harry was waiting on the couch in the living room for him, already dressed in his robes and the scarlet cloak. He quickly relayed his entire dream to the old man, whose face became hopeful at the revelation of a daughter, but fell when he found out she was dead, but his eyes still had a slight twinkle in them, which confused Harry immensely.  
  
"What are you thinking sir?" he asked after it became obvious the old man wasn't going to speak on his own  
  
"Just thinking Harry, don't worry about it. Now, we had better get started with your lesson. Today we are going to work on building up your magic reserves again, but in order to do this, we must start at the beginning" he said as he pulled something very familiar from his robe pocket. Harry looked at it in shock for a moment before he looked back to the headmaster.  
  
"Where did you get it sir? I thought Voldemort had destroyed it before I woke up in the cave"  
  
"Don't you remember, Harry? You used wandless magic to get rid of the dementors and to take yourself and the death eaters away. You left your wand when you fell after the cruciatus curse knocked you out. I found it there after you had vanished and I've been keeping it just like you asked me to. You told me on the first day you spoke that you wouldn't need it anymore, but might want it later, and you asked me to keep it for you" explained the old man gently.  
  
"I'm sorry sir, but the end of the battle and the first couple months I was back are still pretty fuzzy. I don't even remember telling you I wanted to go to class or you saying anything about my wand, but thank you for keeping it all this time" said Harry as he held out his hand, taking his wand back again.  
  
As soon as the slender piece of wood was back in his hand, an incredible warmth spread to his shoulder and an immense shower of sparks issued forth from the tip, but unlike the first time he had held the wand, these sparks were the purest white in color and several gold and silver ones were mixed amongst the white, causing it to temporarily blind the old man from the sheer brilliance of it, but Harry was not affected at all by the color, and as the sparks dissipated, Albus looked at the boy in wonder, but what he saw startled him. Harry was standing perfectly still, and his brilliant eyes were glazed over and starring straight ahead, but he wasn't looking at anything. His face was pale and his entire body was unflinching, his wand still grasped tightly in his hand, and as Albus watched, he could see that his hand was gripped around the wand so tightly that his fingernails were cutting into the flesh of his palm and rich scarlet blood was dripping onto the ground. He was so still that the aged man couldn't even see a rise and fall of his chest to indicate if he was breathing or not.  
  
Frightened for the boy's safety, he stepped forward to try to pry the wand from his grip, but was met by an invisible barrier that sent him falling to the floor. He stood and immediately tried again, but it became obvious that he was accomplishing nothing so he was forced to watch helplessly as Harry continued to go through the trance he was experiencing. Deciding that there was nothing else he could do alone, he turned to the fireplace behind him and using his wand, started a blazing fire and threw a powder from the pocket of his robes into the flames, calling over his shoulder.  
  
"Sirius Black!" in a frantic voice. An instant later, the black haired man stuck his head through the flames, and upon getting one look at what was happening, he backed up and grabbed the arms of the two men who were in the headmasters office with him and threw floo powder into the flames and within an instant, the three were standing beside the headmaster who briefly told them that Harry had gone into a trance upon receiving his wand. The four men tried frantically to physically remove the wand, but were unable to get within a foot of the boy, so they then tried to use their own wands and stun him, but their spells were repelled off the invisible barrier and into the walls. As the seconds ticked by, Harry became even paler and his body began to tremble and he still hadn't taken a breath, but none of their efforts were successful in stopping the trance. Desperate, they looked to each other, but none of them knew what else they could do but watch and wait for it to end.  
  
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When he touched the wand, after the initial warmth, Harry felt the world fall from beneath his feet and he was hurtled through space. When he came to his senses again, he was standing in the middle of nothingness, no color, no sounds, no anything. He looked around helplessly for anyone or anything, but he was completely and utterly alone. After several moments though, he heard a voice surrounding him and inside of him. It was a rich and melodious voice that sounded like it belonged to a very beautiful woman, but still there was nobody in sight so he listened.  
  
'My precious child, when you begin to feel as though there is nothing left for you to do, when you feel like you have nothing left to fight for, remember my words, you must let go and let the magic take control of your soul. They can't live without your strength and your voice, you must fight for them even if you don't want to fight for yourself. There's a power deep inside of you, a passion to protect those you care for, and remember this, when you truly come alive, you will hold the power to defeat all those who oppose you. You have a passion inside of you that gives you the strength to try and nobody can take that away from you. If you so desire, you can set the world on fire when you come alive. You have already given so much, but I must ask for you to give even more. You have the strength to defeat Voldemort now, and the ability, but it will not be as easy as you believe. Remember that no matter what happens, you need to keep fighting for what you believe in, don't get lost in the crowd and wait for someone else to take the lead. It is your destiny to destroy him and all of those who follow him. You have the strength, just trust the magic and allow it to take control. Remember my words and all will work out in the end my precious child'  
  
"Wait, who are you?" he asked the nothingness  
  
'I am your guardian, it is I who protects you, it is I who refused to let you die when you were a child and it is I who refused to allow you to die in that cave. I have been responsible for controlling your powers, but the time has come for me to move on. You are now ready for your final task, your powers are at their peak and it is your choice on how to use them. I must go now, I am proud of what you have accomplished so far, but remember that your destiny has not yet come full circle, you are now facing your worst and most deadly enemy and you must be victorious, but the only way you will be is to remember to stay true to your heart, it will never lead you astray'  
  
"What do you mean that I still have to defeat my greatest enemy, I already fought Voldemort, I just have to finish the job. Who could be worse than him?"  
  
And with that, the nothingness began to fade away, and Harry felt the world spinning again, but before it was gone completely, one single sentence could be heard echoing through the nothingness and his mind, a sentence that turned his insides to ice.  
  
'Your greatest enemy is yourself'  
  
And then there was darkness.  
  
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Several agonizing minutes after it began, the vision Harry was caught in ended, and the boy fell to the floor, his wand falling from his bloody hand and his body completely limp. His face was as white as a corpse, and his hands shook with terrible tremors, but he was gulping in great breaths of air. The four men rushed to his side and Sirius gently turned him from his side onto his back. Harry's eyes were closed and his breathing raspy, but his face was slowly beginning to regain color. Severus knelt beside the bloody hand and pulled out his own wand, intent on bandaging whatever injury the boy had there, but when he turned the palm up, he paled himself. The other three men noticed his stillness and looked at Harry's hand themselves, watching in amazed silence. There were four deep crescent shaped holes in his hand from his fingernails, and the entire palm was covered in blood, but as they watched, the wounds began to close on their own, leaving behind only four pale scars where the wounds had just been. Not believing what was happening, Remus knelt beside the potions master and used the edges of his own robe to wipe away the blood, and the scars were all that remained underneath.  
  
"Albus?" he whispered in confusion  
  
"I don't know" admitted the old man as he looked back to Harry's face, relieved to see that he now appeared to be only sleeping instead of nearly dead. They sat in silence for several more minutes before Harry groaned slightly and opened his eyes.  
  
"Harry, are you ok?" asked Sirius immediately  
  
"Sirius?" asked Harry, confused to be seeing his godfathers face  
  
"Yes Harry, it's me" answered the man with a small smile  
  
"What are you doing here?" asked Harry as he struggled to sit up, looking around at the other three men in the process  
  
"Albus contacted us, what happened?" asked Remus  
  
Harry just looked at them in confusion "Why did he contact you? I thought he was going to give my lesson today" he said in bewilderment  
  
"Harry, you took your wand and were pulled into some kind of trance. You weren't breathing and you looked dead for several minutes. Do you remember what you saw?" asked the headmaster gently as Harry was helped to his feet and over to the couch by Sirius  
  
Suddenly, the words that had been spoken to him came back "I didn't see anything, but someone spoke to me" he began and the four men listened attentively "It was a woman, I didn't see her but I could hear her. She said that she had been my guardian, the one who kept me from dieing when I was a baby and the one who kept me alive in the cave. She said that she had been holding my powers, but it was time for me to have them so I could finish my destiny. She kept calling me her precious child and telling me I had the power to defeat all those that oppose me. She said I still had to defeat my greatest enemy though, and when I asked her who it was, she said that my greatest enemy is myself. That's all she said, but I still can't figure out what she meant. How can I defeat myself?" he asked the group of men who all looked just as confused as he felt.  
  
"I don't know what this means Harry, but I do know that you are probably in no further need for our lessons" said the headmaster  
  
"Why not?" asked Harry  
  
"Harry, take your wand in your hand again" instructed the man, and Harry hesitated for a moment before doing as he was asked. The same shower of sparks erupted from the tip, but this time they completely encased the wand, pulling it from his grip. They continued to encircle the slim piece of wood for several moments, blocking it from view until a bright flash of white light blinded them all and an instant later when they opened their eyes, in the place of the wand stood a beautiful staff. It was intricately carved and made of the darkest wood. Along the handle of it were symbols and designs that ran the entire length, and at the head was a gold phoenix that had its wings outstretched in flight and a scarlet stone grasped in its talons. Cautiously, Harry approached the staff and took it into his hand, causing the stone to pulse with energy for a moment before settling into the bright glow.  
  
"What does this mean Albus?" asked Sirius as he watched his godson  
  
"It means that Harry's powers have come into their full strength" said the man with a smile "You remember Harry, that I told you that you were to become a very powerful wizard?" he asked  
  
"Yes sir" answered Harry  
  
"Well, that staff is the symbol of your power, it has reached its peak and now you must decide what you want to do with it. You are still able to do the same amount of wandless magic as you were able to do before, but this staff amplifies your powers to a great extent, I would recommend you keep it with you at all times"  
  
Harry looked at him with a startled expression on his face before he spoke "That's exactly what the woman in my vision said, about me needing to decide how I wanted to use my powers"  
  
"It is the truth" said the old man "But we will worry about where to go next when you have had some sleep, you look exhausted"  
  
"I am pretty tired" answered Harry as he tried to stifle a yawn  
  
"We will leave you then, get some sleep and we will come for you tomorrow morning, I think it is safe for you to return to the castle now" said the headmaster  
  
"Really?" asked Harry hopefully  
  
"Yes Harry, but not until you get some sleep. I'm sure Ginny will be fine without you for another couple of hours" answered Sirius with a smirk  
  
Harry groaned loudly at this before he set off up the stairs, where he carefully propped his staff in the corner and collapsed into the bed, falling asleep before his head hit the pillow and dreaming of being reunited with Ginny after the longest month imaginable.  
  
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A/N: Well, there are a couple of twists and turns for you, did anyone know that this was coming? If you did, congratulations. Well, I know that this part about the staff kind of came from nowhere, but it is important. Well, thanks for your reviews on the last two chapters, and I hope you enjoyed this one, please let my know because I'm a little worried about how it turned out. The next chapter should be up tomorrow night, so until then, enjoy! 


	39. Jumping to Conclusions

A/N: Just one quick note, please don't flame me for what happens in this chapter! That being said, here goes!  
  
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Chapter 39  
  
Sirius came at six the next morning to pick Harry up, and was amused to see the boy sitting anxiously on the edge of the couch. When the ex-convict entered, Harry jumped to his feet and rushed to his side.  
  
"Good morning to you too Harry" he said with a smirk  
  
"Morning Sirius, are you ready, lets go" he said without waiting for an answer to his question and practically dragging the older man to the door.  
  
"Calm down Harry, don't you want to say good bye to your family first?" he asked as he pulled the boy to a halt by a hand on his shoulder  
  
"I already told Dudley bye last night and I would be perfectly happy to never see my aunt and uncle again" he answered honestly, wrenching his shoulder from Sirius' grasp and continuing to the door.  
  
"Do you have everything, Harry?" asked Sirius, relenting and following the boy "Where is your staff and sword?"  
  
"Yes, my sword is in my trunk which is in my pocket and my staff is right here" he said, holding out his hand, and with a faint pop, the staff appeared in it and a wide grin crossed Harry's face before he spoke "You know, I really kind of like this thing, it could come in handy to beat obnoxious godfathers over the head when they are moving too slowly early in the morning" he said with a smirk.  
  
"Harry!" exclaimed Sirius "You had better never use that staff to hit anything, it is a very powerful magical object" he said in a lecturing tone  
  
"I know that Professor Black, I was only joking, now can we get going already?" Harry said in exasperation  
  
"All right, let's go" said Sirius, relenting from his previous sternness and smiling at his godson as he followed him out the door.  
  
Once they reached the edges of the protective wards around number four, the pair disappeared with a small pop and reappeared an instant later on the deserted streets of Hogsmeade.  
  
"So, what am I supposed to be doing today Sirius? Am I going to classes or what?" asked Harry as they walked through the small village  
  
"No, you won't be going to classes Harry, but I'll let Albus tell you where we are going next" he said mysteriously  
  
"Where we are going next? You mean we aren't staying at the castle?" said Harry, depression clouding his features and voice.  
  
"I'm sorry Harry, but we're only going to be at the castle for a couple of hours at the most before we leave again" said Sirius, trying to soften his words to lessen the blow as much as possible.  
  
Harry tried to take in this new information without becoming too depressed, but he wasn't being to successful with one thought running through his head "Will I get to see Ginny?" he finally asked hesitantly  
  
Sirius smiled reassuringly before answering "Yes Harry, you will have time to see Ginny"  
  
Harry sighed at that thought before a small smile graced his face as well. They continued walking in silence until they reached the edge of the forbidden forest next to the castle.  
  
"Go ahead up to the tower and visit with Ginny until breakfast, then meet us in Dumbledore's office, we'll be waiting for you there" he said as they entered the still sleeping castle.  
  
"Ok, I'll be there later!" said Harry over his shoulder as he rushed up the great marble staircase, staff in hand and cloak billowing out behind him.  
  
"Wait!" called Sirius suddenly  
  
Harry stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Sirius in confusion. "What is it?" he asked  
  
"It might be a good idea not to be seen by anyone but your friends and Ginny, maybe you had better go to he tower in one of your animagus forms" he suggested  
  
"If you say so" muttered Harry, and an instant later, a large, black shaggy dog stood in his place.  
  
"Ha, ha, very funny" said Sirius sarcastically as the dog wagged its tail before it turned and continued at a full run up the stairs.  
  
Sirius just shook his head before he followed the dog up the stairs and headed towards the stone gargoyle.  
  
Harry was panting heavily by the time he reached the painting of the fat lady and looking in every direction to make sure he wasn't being watched, he transformed back into himself just long enough to tap the painting with his staff, which immediately began to swing open. Not even stopping to think about what had just happened, he turned back into his dog form before nosing the entrance open further and padding silently into the empty common room, the door shutting soundlessly behind him.  
  
As he entered the room, he was assailed by many familiar scents, but the one he focused on was that of Ginny. He sniffed for a moment to find the most recent scent, expecting it to lead him up the stairs and into the sixth year girls dormitory, but he was surprised to notice that it led him to the large couch in front of the fire.  
  
Curious as to why Ginny was not in her bed, he cautiously crept around the corner of the couch, intent on surprising the girl if she were awake, or giving her a gentle kiss to wake her if she were asleep, but what he saw vanquished both of these thoughts from his mind to be replaced with nearly uncontrollable anger and hurt.  
  
Ginny was lying on the couch sound asleep with a blanket pulled up to her chin, her hair fanned out behind her and dangling off the couch to pool on the floor. Her face was the picture of contentment and peace and she looked so innocent and beautiful lying there, but it was not her that Harry focused on, but the person she was with. Colin Creevy was lying on the couch with her, and it was his chest that she was using as a pillow. Her hand was resting on his shoulder and his arms were wrapped around her slim frame, holding her close, looking the picture of contentment and peace as well. Seeing his girlfriend being held so tightly by another caused Harry's heart to break and the anger to cloud his vision, and he did the only thing he could think of doing in his current state, he let loose a deep and loud growl, waking the pair immediately.  
  
Ginny awoke to the sound of loud growling coming from somewhere near her head. Startled, she jumped up to look at the animal that had awoken her, not realizing that someone was with her.  
  
"Sirius?" she asked "What are you doing here? And why are you in your animagus form?" she asked in bewilderment  
  
The only answer she received was another low growl though as the dog looked from her to someone beside her. Ginny followed his gaze and was met by the startled face of Colin.  
  
"Oh God! Colin! We must have fallen asleep!" she exclaimed  
  
The dog only growled at this, slightly louder than the time before though.  
  
"Ginny, who's dog is that?" asked Colin as he eyed the obviously angry dog  
  
"It's professor Black, but I don't know why he's in his animagus form though, or why he is so angry" she muttered to herself as she looked back to the dog on the ground in front of her.  
  
Watching the animal, Ginny felt a chill go up her spine. She had never seen such anger in any animals eyes before, and as she continued to look into the bright green eyes, she began to tremble.  
  
'Wait!' she thought suddenly 'That dog has GREEN eyes' and she suddenly knew why he was so angry. The dog wasn't Sirius, it was Harry, and he had just found her lying on a couch curled up with Colin. She felt the color drain from her cheeks upon this realization.  
  
"Harry" she whispered faintly, but before she could say anything more, he had turned and run toward the entrance to the common room.  
  
"Harry wait!" she exclaimed, following him, but he made no move to stop "Harry please, it's not what it looks like, I love you!" she said as she felt tears begin to run down her cheeks  
  
The dog suddenly stopped its escape and an instant later, it had transformed into her boyfriend and he turned around slowly to face her.  
  
Ginny was shocked by what she saw. Harry was standing before her wearing a solid black robe and his scarlet cloak. Hooked to his belt were a sword and dagger, both of which she recognized as those he had received on Christmas. In his right hand, though, was something she had never seen before. It was a tall, dark staff with a golden phoenix perched on the top holding a bright red stone in its talons. She pulled her attention from the staff though and dared to look at his face. His hair was hanging loose around his face, but his eyes were still visible and what she saw in them tore at her heart. They were emerald pools of pain and hurt, but as she continued to look at them, they became as hard as emeralds and all of his emotions became impossible to read as he spoke in a level and unwavering voice.  
  
"Your words mean nothing to me Ginny, not anymore. Not after what you've done to me, I can't trust you or your words. I have to go" and with that he spun on his heel and left the common room, leaving a crying Ginny and shocked Colin in his wake.  
  
He couldn't believe what was happening, how could she do this to him? He thought frantically as he stormed down the still empty corridor. When he reached the statue, he tapped the gargoyle on the head with his staff. Taking several deep, steadying breaths, he ascended the stairs to the headmasters' office, trying to bury his anger until this meeting was over and he could speak to Sirius once they left to where ever they were heading next. Reaching the landing, he knocked lightly on the door and was told to come in by the voice of the headmaster from the other side of the door.  
  
"Good morning sir" said Harry as he entered the office in an emotionless tone  
  
"Good morning Harry" said the old man with a smile on his face "Are you finished speaking with Ginny already?" he asked  
  
"Yes sir, I'm ready to go" said Harry, not wishing to elaborate as he took a seat in one of the armchairs next to Sirius who looked at him in concern but kept his thoughts to himself  
  
"Very well" began Dumbledore "I have been putting some thought into what you told me of the conversation Voldemort had about his daughter and I believe I have come to a conclusion" at these words, Harry's attention was peaked and he looked at the old man hopefully  
  
"What have you found out?" he asked  
  
"Well, you say that she was a fifth year when Lucius Malfoy was in his final year?" he asked as he looked at the boy  
  
"Yes sir, that is what Voldemort said"  
  
"Well, then she would have been in the same year as you Sirius" he said while turning his attention to the man next to Harry "Do you have any idea who she might have been?" he asked  
  
"No Albus, I haven't a clue" admitted the man in irritation  
  
"Neither do I, but I think there is a way we can find out" he said with a twinkle in his eye  
  
Harry and Sirius just looked to each other in confusion before Harry spoke up "Why does it matter who she was sir, he said himself that he killed her"  
  
"Ah, but Harry, are you forgetting that you hold more magical power than we can even begin to imagine" he said with a small smile  
  
"What are you getting at Albus?" asked Sirius in exasperation, clearly irritated by the mans lack of an honest explanation of what he was thinking  
  
"Harry, Sirius, I think we may be able to go and get this girl before Voldemort kills her and convince her to help with the spell and potion to destroy him for good" he said finally  
  
Harry and Sirius could only look at him in disbelief for several minutes before Sirius spoke up.  
  
"Albus, you can't be serious! Going that far into the past is impossible and even if we could, I don't think we could convince her to help us! She's Voldemort's daughter, who is probably some evil Slytherin who would rather see Harry dead and Voldemort ruling the world!" he exclaimed as he jumped to his feet  
  
Dumbledore just smiled wider at his words "Sirius, do you remember who it was that stopped the attack on Hogesmede and Hogwarts during the end of your sixth year?" he asked  
  
"Yes, I could never forget that day, Lily and several of the other girls on our class were almost taken away by death eaters, but that transfer student stopped them" he said quickly  
  
"Do you remember anything about this student?" asked the headmaster  
  
"Well, he came towards the end of the year with his" at this, Sirius' eyes grew wide and he looked to the man sitting before him and then back to Harry "Are you saying that the student was Harry and that I was with him?" he asked  
  
"Exactly Sirius, but perhaps you could continue your description of the boy for Harry's sake"  
  
"Well, he came to the school with his godfather, but they only stayed for a couple of weeks, until the end of term I think"  
  
"Actually, they stayed throughout the summer at the castle, but go ahead"  
  
"Well, the student was always walking around with a red cloak on and holding a staff in his hand. We never talked to either him or his godfather, though, they pretty much kept to themselves" he finished  
  
"Wait a minute, are you saying I was at Hogwarts when you were a student?" asked Harry in shock  
  
"Yes, and you will be again in just a few minutes. This is what we are going to do" he began, successfully getting the attention of both black haired men in his office "I have found a time turner that will take you back to Hogwarts. While the rest of the students are there, you two will just observe them and try to figure out who Voldemort's daughter is and bring her back here" he finished  
  
"How are we supposed to find out who she is? From what Voldemort said she didn't even know he was her father when he killed her" said Harry  
  
"I can not tell you that, you must figure it out of your own, but you possess the ability to find her Harry, and you know better than I how important it is that you do so" he said seriously  
  
Harry nodded his head and looked to his godfather "Are you ready to go Sirius?" he asked  
  
"Yes, if you are" answered the man as he got to his feet  
  
"Hold still Sirius" said Harry and to the man's shock, he directed his staff toward him and he felt a warmth spread through his entire body for a few seconds before it stopped.  
  
"What did you do Harry?" he asked wearily  
  
"Just changed you a bit, I don't want to explain why my godfather looks remarkably like a Gryffindor sixth year" he said  
  
Sirius hesitantly looked into the mirror beside the door to take in his new appearance, and to his great relief, it wasn't as drastic as he had feared. His eyes were several shades darker that his original pale blue, but still blue, and his once black hair was now a very dark brown. He was amazed that just these two small changes could cause him to look so differently though, and impressed once again with Harry's powers.  
  
"What about you?" he asked as he fingered his wand hopefully and looked at Harry who just smiled back  
  
"I don't think I need to change, even you said that I look nothing like I used to since I grew out my hair" he answered  
  
"But you still resemble your father with those black glasses, his were identical. Why don't you let me just change those for you?" he said as he aimed his wand at Harry's face, but before he could utter a word, Harry held out his hand and Sirius found himself empty handed.  
  
"I think I can take care of this my self thank you" he said smugly as he now turned the staff on himself, and a second later he was removing his glasses and tucking them into his pocket.  
  
"What did you do Harry?" asked Sirius in confusion  
  
"Just fixed my vision so I don't need my glasses anymore" he answered as though that happened everyday.  
  
Sirius and Albus were both shocked speechless by this display and just starred at him in shock.  
  
"Well, now that was interesting" muttered Sirius finally, but a moment later, a hissing sound was heard from under his chair, causing he man to jump to the other side of the room. Harry though, dropped to his knees and looked under the chair.  
  
"Sherlock!" exclaimed Harry "I thought you said you couldn't find him Sirius" he said as he stretched his hand out to the snake who gladly slithered under the arm of his cloak and around his forearm  
  
"We couldn't, Remus and I searched everywhere for him, but it was like he just disappeared" said the man as he cautiously returned to his chair  
  
"It would appear as though your pet can only be found when he wants too, Harry" said the headmaster with a small smile  
  
Harry returned the grin, happy to have his friend back again. He had been afraid the small serpent had left for good after what had happened in the defense classroom a month ago "Is it ok if he comes with us?" he asked hopefully  
  
"I don't think it would be a problem, but you two had better get going" said the headmaster as he got to his feet, the two black haired men following his example and standing as well.  
  
"Here is the time turner, it is set to bring you back here on September the first right before the feast. Be careful and good luck" he concluded as he stood and looped the long chain around their necks and in a flash of light, they were gone.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N: Ok, I know this is very unbelievable, but I have been planning on doing this since the beginning, so here it is, but don't worry, it will only be a couple of chapters before they go back, and it isn't going to be like all of those other 'Harry goes back in time, meets his parents, and everything is perfect' fics, this is very different. Please don't hate me for the fight either, but hey, they're teenagers, they fight, not everything can be all perfect. Well, I'm going to answer some of your questions now, so here goes:  
  
Coolone007: it means that you have to wait and see, but part of the answer was in this chapter. As far as Voldemort going dormant, the next chapter explains it.  
  
Ceslestial: it will be a happy ending eventually, and I hope you have a lot of paper if you are really printing this out, because it is long  
  
AgiVega: I know the story was a bit far fetched, but it gives some of the reason as to why Tom Riddle might have become even more evil (I know it will never happen in the books, but it is fun to play around with). I'm glad you liked that one paragraph, it just seemed like something that could actually happen  
  
Kensai: I know parts of it are predictable, but I can't think of any way to make it less so, but if you have any suggestions, let me know!  
  
Kate potter: was it the reunion you were expecting?  
  
John: Thanks!  
  
Bekken: not quite happy and jolly yet, but maybe later?  
  
Amy: I'm glad you like it, so, was this what you thought would happen?  
  
Ciara Moondagger: Very good idea, but I won't tell just yet, wait a few more chapters  
  
Celtic Ember: Sorry if you think this is melodramatic and soppy, but other people seem to like it just fine, so oh well! I know I have quite a few grammatical and spelling errors, but hey, I'm not an English major here, I'm an animal science major, but at least I don't have errors that are so bad you can't even read it.  
  
Skittle: maybe, maybe not, you'll find out later  
  
Fan :@) Thanks for all of them! Sorry, I sometimes forget to let you know when I'll post next, but I'll try to remember now!  
  
Cometgurl05: Thanks, glad you like it  
  
AprilSkrutin: Thank you so much!  
  
Bonnie: Thank you  
  
Green Eyed Knight: Thank you  
  
Jessika Organa Solo: Glad you like it!  
  
Pink Witch: Thanks, glad you like it!  
  
Tired: sorry, I post as much as I can, but I'm in the middle of finals right now, thanks for reading though  
  
Dweem-angel: I'm so glad you like it, and now you know what happened to Sherlock, and don't worry, Harry may be nice to everyone now, but that just changed huh?  
  
Jenna James: yeah, grammar has never been one of my strong suites, but thanks for pointing that out, I'll keep it in mind from now on. I'm glad you liked it, and your theory is good, but you'll find out the truth later!  
  
Gwerty: yeah, it was a cliffy, but was the conversation worth waiting for or was it crap?  
  
Gabby: thanks!  
  
  
  
Ok, I think that is all of you, but if I forgot someone, please forgive me. I hope this is a good chapter, please let me know in a review if you thought it was terrible and not believable enough and I'll take it off and think of something else, but please don't flame me. 


	40. Regrets and Eyes

Chapter 40  
  
Ginny was devastated, how could something like this happen! She and Colin had been studying last night and she had been overcome with depression. Ron and Hermione were both in the library, so she turned to the only other person she could confide in, Colin.  
  
Since her first year, the two had been close friends, and before she had started dating Harry, the pair had practically inseparable. Since she and Harry had been together, their relationship had been pushed aside, but Colin was still a loyal friend and was always willing to listen to Ginny, during the months following the battle and Harry's disappearance, he had become even more important to her, but once school had started again, she had once again become too absorbed in Harry to notice Colin.  
  
Last night though, when she had broken down, he held her close and told her repeatedly that everything was going to be ok. She had confided in him her worries that Harry would never return, and he had promised that Harry obviously loved her too much to leave her behind and it was only a matter of time until he came back. He had held her in a firm but friendly embrace until she had cried herself to sleep, and judging by what had happened, he had unintentionally fallen asleep as well.  
  
She could understand where Harry's anger came from though, had she been the one to find him in that position, she knew that she would feel the same way, but she had to make him know that it was an accident and it meant nothing. But first she had to find him.  
  
Once she had stopped crying in the tower, she had rushed up the stairs to her room and grabbed her cloak and wand before running from the tower in the direction of Sirius' rooms, certain that Harry had gone there, but once she arrived Russell told her otherwise.  
  
"Ginny! What are you doing here?" he exclaimed once he had seen her tearstained face as she panted for breath.  
  
"Please let me in, I need to speak to Harry" she panted out desperately  
  
"I'm sorry, Ginny, but Harry is not here, I haven't seem him for many weeks now" said the painting regretfully  
  
"He's not here?" asked Ginny in shock "What about Sirius, can I talk to him, maybe he knows where Harry went" she pleaded  
  
"He's not here either I'm afraid, he left quite early this morning and I haven't seen him since" said the painting  
  
"Where is he?" muttered Ginny to herself  
  
"I don't know, but Sirius walked out wearing his cloak and I think he was putting his trunk into his pocket" said the painting, trying to be helpful  
  
"His trunk! They're leaving again!" exclaimed the girl as tears started to run down her face again  
  
"I'm not sure, perhaps the headmaster knows" he suggested  
  
And without another word, Ginny spun on her heel and ran full force for the headmasters office, panting for a moment while trying to think of the password, but before she could say it, the door opened and the aged man walked out.  
  
"Miss. Weasley, what on earth is wrong?" he asked gently as he guided the girl back into his office.  
  
"Please, sir, can you tell me where Harry is?" she pleaded  
  
"I'm sorry, but he and Sirius just left" said the old man "What happened?" he asked again as they entered the room, and she was surprised to see Remus sitting there  
  
"We had a fight and he left, he was angry with me and I didn't even get a chance to explain or apologize to him" she whispered as she looked to the floor, tears still running down her cheeks "When will they be back? Can I write him a letter?" she asked  
  
"I'm afraid that letters would not reach them where they are Ginny, and they won't return until the welcoming feast next year" said the old man as he looked at the girl in concern, but when she heard his words, she looked up to him in shock.  
  
"He's going to be gone for that long!" she exclaimed, "Where are they, why can't I write to him, he has to know the truth!"  
  
"I'm afraid I can't tell you this Ginny" he said sadly "Why don't you go on to breakfast, we will talk later" he told the girl, who nodded sadly before turning and leaving the two men behind  
  
"Poor girl" said Remus finally  
  
"Yes, it must be difficult to be so in love with the savior of the wizarding world" said Dumbledore  
  
"Yes, but I'm sure everything will work out for them in the end, this is just one of the normal complications in every teenage relationship" said the werewolf  
  
"Yes, but you know as well as I that nothing about Harry is normal, a normal teenager doesn't have to worry about the most evil wizard in the world taking control of them and their powers if they let emotions rule their actions" said the old man heavily and Remus nodded in agreement silently. "Now, I'll go and get your potion from Severus and you can use my fire to go to your cottage and gather your lesson plans for while you are out" said the old man as he left again.  
  
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When Harry and Sirius arrived, they found themselves on the outskirts at the far side of Hogsmeade, in the middle of a downpour.  
  
"Great!" yelled Sirius over the rumble of thunder "Just what I wanted, another shower!"  
  
Harry just laughed as he pulled the hood of his cloak over his head to try and keep as dry as possible and Sirius followed his example. The pair hurried through the empty streets in the direction of the path that led toward Hogwarts in silence. When they reached the castle, Harry raised his staff and the great doors swung open and they ran inside, to be met by none other than a younger Minerva McGonagall, with her wand trained on them, who just looked them over in shock for a moment before speaking.  
  
"Can I help you?' she asked as she cautiously lowered her wand and watched as Sirius lowered his hood and shook out his wet hair  
  
Sirius looked over to Harry in shock, they had not discussed their reason for coming to the castle, but thankfully, Harry was quick with an answer.  
  
"Yes, we have come to speak to the headmaster" he said, never lowering his hood  
  
"Oh" said the woman "Am I to assume you two are the ones sent from the ministry to improve the defenses around the school?" she asked as she lowered her wand further, but she still eyed Harry and his staff wearily  
  
"Yes, or at least that is why I am here" said Sirius "My godson will be transferring to the school for as long as I am needed"  
  
"Very well, my name is Minerva McGonagall, I am the deputy headmistress and professor of transfiguration" she said as she extended her hand to Sirius  
  
"I am Joseph, and this is Harry" said Sirius as he shook the woman's hand  
  
"Pleased to meet you, why don't we go up to the headmasters office?" she suggested  
  
Nodding, they followed her up the stairs and through the halls to the familiar statue of the gargoyle, which she leaned down to whisper the password to before leading them up the stairs and knocking on the door.  
  
"Come in" was heard from the inside and she pushed the door open and allowed the two wet visitors to enter the office.  
  
"Headmaster, this is the gentleman from the ministry who as sent to help you strengthen the wards around the school, Joseph." here she looked at the man, clearly wanting a last name, but Sirius interrupted her  
  
"It is an honor to meet you sir, this is my godson Harry" he said as he shook the old mans hand  
  
The headmaster smiled slightly at them, but he too looked at Harry curiously for a moment.  
  
"Minerva, thank you for showing them up here, I shall see you at breakfast" he said and the woman nodded before turning and leaving the trio behind.  
  
"Please take a seat" said Dumbledore as he seated himself back behind his large desk and Sirius and Harry seated themselves across from him "Now, there are several things I need to discuss with you before we get started" he began "Harry, will you be taking lessons while you are here?" he asked  
  
"If it is possible, sir" answered Harry with a nod of his head  
  
"Very well, we need to sort you into a house then" said the old man as he got to his feet, but he stopped when Sirius spoke up  
  
"If you don't mind, sir, I would rather that Harry not be put into any certain house"  
  
Dumbledore looked slightly shocked at this "Why not?" he asked as he looked at the two  
  
"Well, we will only be here a matter of months at the most, and I will be needing his assistance on a regular basis, causing him to miss several lessons and I do not wish for any house to be held accountable for his absences" he explained hastily  
  
"Do you mind if I ask how a student could be of any help with your work?" he asked in bewilderment  
  
"Please excuse me, sir, but all I can say is that Harry is very capable of helping me in my work" he said with a small and secretive smile, and Harry himself had to hold back a spurt of laughter at seeing the headmasters face when he heard these words.  
  
"Very well then, it is your choice, Harry can attend classes with the other students, but not as a member of any house. You can sleep in your godfathers rooms and dine at the staff table, I will explain this to the other professors" he said is resignation, but he still looked completely confused "What year are you in, Harry?" he asked finally  
  
"I should be in seventh year, sir, but if you don't mind, I would like to join the sixth year classes, I missed the last several months of my sixth year" said Harry  
  
"That is fine, all the houses attend classes together now since so many students have withdrawn from the school for fear of Voldemort and his followers, so lessons should not be a problem" he said as he sat once again "Harry, you may go on down to the great hall, I need to discuss a few thing with your godfather before we join you"  
  
"Yes, sir" he said as he stood and left the office, staff in his hand, but he didn't head for the great hall, instead, he stood beside the stone gargoyle and waited for Sirius. The students were all on their way to the great hall, and he received several curious looks, but he ignored the students and instead thought of what had happened between he and Ginny. He was still angry, but now, something else was overtaking the anger, regret.  
  
He had rushed off before he had even listened to what Ginny had to say, and he knew how much that hurt him, but he knew she was probably hurting even more. And now he was stuck here for nearly five months with no way to contact Ginny and apologize for jumping to conclusions and becoming so angry.  
  
He knew now that she had nothing wrong, in fact, he had known it the instant he had seen her, but he had let that annoying voice make him believe that Ginny had cheated on him when he was certain that she was probably just seeking comfort from her best friend. He banged his head into the wall behind him several times in his frustration.  
  
'How could I have let him talk me into believing that' he thought miserably 'I've probably lost Ginny for good now thanks to you Voldemort'  
  
'Ah, but are you so sure that she was being faithful to you?' asked the voice  
  
'Of course she was being faithful to me, I trust her' though Harry back  
  
'But how can you be so certain?' asked the voice as it faded away  
  
Harry ignored that particular comment and thought instead about how nice it had been to have at least two Voldemort free weeks while he was with the Dursley's. Apparently, Harry was not the only one who was completely drained after Voldemort had taken control of his body. The first two weeks after he had awoken, the cold voice had not said a word, and even now, it only said a few sentences before vanishing again. It was a comfort of sorts to discover that the evil wizard had not been able to recover his strength or powers nearly as rapidly as Harry had been able to. He closed his eyes for a moment with his head resting against the cold stone of the wall and thought about how would be best for him to convince Ginny to forgive his rash actions. Before he had been able to come up with anything though, the wall behind him moved and he spun around, reflexes taking control, and held his staff outstretched in one hand and his other palm beside it until he saw it was only the headmaster and Sirius.  
  
"Sorry, reflex" he mumbled under his breath to the headmaster who was starring at him open mouthed.  
  
"Harry, can I ask you where you got that impressive staff?" he asked  
  
"My old mentor gave it to me before we came here" he replied and turned away to inform the man that he wouldn't receive a more elaborate answer  
  
"Harry, why don't we go and get some breakfast before you head off to classes?" asked Sirius  
  
"That sounds good to me, someone made me get up way too early this morning" he said accusingly as he smiled at his godfather  
  
"Stop whining like a four year old" demanded Sirius  
  
Dumbledore just smiled at the pair as he led them down the hall "Do you mind if I ask why you live with your godfather Harry?" he asked hesitantly as they walked among the throngs of students in the hallway, all looking at the headmaster and two new arrivals curiously  
  
"Not at all, sir, my parents were killed and he now has custody of me" he explained, not wanting to go into any more detail than necessary  
  
"I am sorry to hear that, but you seem happy with Joseph" said the headmaster and Harry had to think for a moment before he remembered that Joseph was the name Sirius had given him  
  
"It was a long time ago, sir, I don't even remember my parents" he said with a shrug of his shoulders, but deep down he was secretly anxious to see them, but he knew he could never speak to them because, if he did so, then he would be sorely tempted to tell them the truth, not to mention he had enough on his mind at the moment without having to worry about his parents reactions to meeting their seventeen year old son from the future, though he knew it would break his heart to be so close to them and know that in only a matter of years they would die and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Sirius gave him a concerned look at this, but decided not to press the issue while in the company of the headmaster.  
  
Just then, they had reached the large oak doors of the great hall and wordlessly, the aged headmaster pushed them open and Harry immediately heard all the voices within go quiet. Giving the two behind him an encouraging smile, the old man led them in. Harry and Sirius felt the gazes of all the students on them as they made their way up the isle, but while Sirius looked the students over and gave several friendly smiles and waves, Harry just kept his eyes trained forward, refusing to look at the students for fear of what he would do once he saw his parents, or more importantly, Peter Pettigrew. Before he knew it though, they had reached the head table and Dumbledore had turned around to address the students.  
  
"Good morning to you all" he greeted "I trust you are ready to start yet another day" he said and was met by a chorus of tired groans, and Harry was silently amused to hear the loudest ones coming from the Gryffindor table. He shot his godfather a slightly accusing look, and the man just guiltily shrugged his shoulders in response with a half smile on his face.  
  
"We are lucky to have two new additions to the school this morning who were sent to us by the ministry and they will be staying for a couple of months. I am pleased to introduce to you Joseph, who is here to help strengthen the protection around the school from the threat of Voldemort, and his godson Harry, who will be joining the sixth year students in their lessons. Please give them a warm welcome and make them feel at home while they are here. Now enjoy your breakfast" he concluded as he took his seat and directed Harry and Sirius to two seats at the end of the table.  
  
Harry gratefully took his seat and propped his staff against the table between he and Sirius and took his first hesitant look around the hall. He was startled to see that none of the house tables were full, nearly a third of each table was empty, and he remembered Dumbledore saying that many of the students had left the school because of the constant threat of Voldemort and he shook his head sadly. Why did he have to ruin so many lives? And with that thought in his mind, he began to eat breakfast, full aware of the curious looks still directed toward him from the students and teachers alike, but he ignored them and turned to speak quietly to Sirius.  
  
"Does this feel strange to you as well?" he asked as he took a sip of pumpkin juice  
  
"You have no idea" said the older man back  
  
"So, what are we going to be doing today?" asked Harry  
  
"I think it would be best to go ahead and start searching for the mystery girl, and that means you get to go to lessons" taunted Sirius  
  
"Great, I get out of them at home only to have to go to them here" mumbled Harry under his breath and Sirius chuckled at him "Are you sure you have no idea who she might be?" he asked  
  
"Not a clue" answered Sirius  
  
"How many sixth year girls are there anyway?" asked Harry as he surveyed the great hall  
  
"Well, there were six in Gryffindor, and probably the same number in the other houses, so we're looking at anywhere between twenty and thirty total" said the man  
  
Harry nearly choked on his eggs at this thought, earning himself a worried look from the professor next to him "Are you ok young man" asked a flustered looking Sprout  
  
"Yes ma'am" replied Harry with a small smile as he turned back to Sirius and the professor continued her conversation with her other neighbor "You mean that every class has sixty students in it?" he asked in amazement "How did any of you ever learn anything?"  
  
"Well, it wasn't only the students that left during the war, but several of the professors were called to fight as well" he began "They were forced to combine all houses for lessons because if they didn't, then there wouldn't be enough professors to teach them all, it wasn't too terribly bad, because that gave us more opportunities to pull pranks without being caught" he said with a mischievous grin on his face which Harry just rolled his eyes at in return.  
  
When Harry noticed the other students begin to leave the hall, he turned to his godfather "Um, Sirius, what lesson do I have first?" he asked  
  
But his question was answered by the headmaster who had walked up behind them with a smile on his face "Here you go, Harry" he said as he handed the boy a piece of parchment with his time table written on it "You can follow Miss. Stevens here to your class. Ashley, this is Harry" he said as he introduced a Ravenclaw girl with short blonde hair who gave him a welcoming smile.  
  
"Nice to meet you, thank you, sir" he said "By Joseph, I'll see you at lunch" he said to Sirius as he followed the short girl from the room, staff in hand.  
  
After several minutes of silent walking though, the girl spoke up hesitantly "So, what house are you in?" she asked  
  
"Oh, my godfather didn't want me to be in any one house since we will only be here for a short time" he replied  
  
"Oh, well, what school did you go to before" she tried again  
  
"My godfather has been home schooling me since we are always traveling for the ministry" he said impressed with his own ability to lie so well, and by then they had reached the charms room "Thank you for showing me here" he said as they parted ways at the door, Harry taking one of the seats in the back and Ashley going to the front to sit with a pair of her housemates.  
  
Several minutes later, he could hear a thundering of feet coming from the corridor and an instant later five very familiar looking students entered and he couldn't help but stare at them. The first was a brown haired boy who was obviously a much younger Remus Lupin. The one behind him caused Harry to tighten his grip on his staff unconsciously, as he looked at the rat like blonde boy, Peter Pettigrew. The next one had shoulder length black hair and a very scary smile on his face and Harry recognized the young and carefree face of his godfather. The last two though, who were walking hand in hand caught his attention for the longest period of time, a pretty girl with red hair and green eyes and a tall boy with messy black hair and glasses, his parents. The five went to the middle of the room and took their seats, laughing and talking the entire time, and a minute later the professor entered and the lesson began. Thankfully, the lesson was a theory lesson, and Harry was able to survey the gathered students without getting much attention drawn to him, but by the end of the day, he was no closer to discovering the answer than he had been at the beginning. The only clues that he had about the girls identity was that she had hair the same color as her grandmother, but he didn't know who that was, and that she looked remarkably like her mother, also an unknown person, so the only thing he had to go on were her eyes. This proved to make the entire situation even more complicated though. Voldemort had said that her eyes were the same color his had been before they turned red, but the only time he had ever seen Voldemort in his natural form was during his second year, inside Riddle's memory and then again in the chamber of secrets. Both times, the Slytherin was only a shadow of who he really was and appeared not in color, but in black and white. The only thing this told him was that his eyes weren't black or dark brown, but this left light brown, blue, and green, which only narrowed down his search by the smallest amount. It seemed as though every single sixth year girl had light colored eyes and he was becoming frustrated. The rest of the day passed quickly, with Harry attending potions and history of magic after lunch before following Sirius to the fourth floor and into a small chamber that would serve as their rooms while they were here.  
  
Sighing heavily, he collapsed onto the couch.  
  
"What's wrong, Harry?" asked Sirius as he settled on the armchair  
  
"Just thinking about how impossible this entire thing is" he said  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked in concern  
  
"Sirius, we are trying to find a girl we know nothing about, who doesn't even know who she is herself" he said in exasperation  
  
"Don't worry, Harry, we'll find her, it'll just take time" he said in reassurance  
  
"If you say so" Harry muttered under his breath "I'm exhausted, I think I'll go to bed" he said after several moments of silence  
  
"I won't be far behind, night Harry" said Sirius as he finished his cup of tea  
  
"Night Sirius" said Harry as he went into the room on the left that was his. Shutting the door behind himself, he propped his staff in the corner and pulled his shrunken trunk from the pocket of his robes, and once he had restored it to its normal size, he removed a set of pajamas and changed quickly before climbing into the bed and falling into a dreamless sleep.  
  
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A/N: Thanks for your reviews on the last chapter! I don't know when the next one will be up, I am taking finals for the next week, but I'll try to have it out this weekend. Please review this one and let me know what you think! 


	41. Meet the Parents

Chapter 41  
  
For Ginny, the next several days passed in a depression filled haze. She had decided not to tell anyone else about her fight with Harry, and only she and Colin had known that he had come to the castle at all since she had not told anyone else, including her brother, Hermione, and Draco. She had tried repeatedly to come up with some way to convince the headmaster or Remus to tell her exactly where Harry was, but both had flat out refused to tell her so she had been left with no hope in contacting him. She had tried to send Hedwig to him with a letter, but she had returned the next morning, obviously unable to find him since the letter still remained tied to her leg. She had run out of options and ideas on how to contact her boyfriend, and so she had resigned to the fact that she would have to wait for several months until she could see him again, and preyed that he would be willing to forgive her when he did return.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Harry was not feeling much better than Ginny. After four days of sitting through classes with the sixth year students, he was no closer to finding their mystery girl than they had been when they arrived, and his thoughts often wandered to the red headed girl he had left behind in the Gryffindor common room in tears. He had briefly entertained the thought to contact her, but his only possible way of doing so would be to write her a letter and leave it with someone to give to her in the future, but Sirius had immediately shot down that idea. If he were to give anyone a letter now and tell them to keep it for over two decades before delivering it to a girl who wasn't even bon yet, their cover would be blown and that person at least would know that they were from the future, and they would be forced to tell at least them why they were in the past, and that would reveal more of their story than they wanted to be known by anyone in this time, namely that the future Voldemort was in the castle. Because of this, Harry was also forced to wait until he returned to his own time before he could set things straight with Ginny and hope she would forgive his cold and judgmental attitude toward her.  
  
Right now, he was sitting in front of the fire in he and Sirius' rooms and reading a book on the dark arts he had found in the library earlier that morning, waiting for Sirius to return from a meeting the headmaster was having with all the staff in which he demanded the aurors presence to go over his ideas on how to strengthen the wards protecting the school. Since it was Saturday, Harry had decided to remain in the rooms rather than go to the great hall to eat in order to escape the looks that were constantly directed toward him, and he was in the process of eating a sandwich one of the house elves had delivered for him, and as he finished it, the door swung open to reveal a very weary looking Sirius Black.  
  
"Hey, Sirius, how was the meeting?" asked Harry as he put his book down and turned to face his godfather  
  
"Terrible" said Sirius as he collapsed into the chair beside Harry "Do you have any more food? I'm starving" he said as he eyed the remains of Harry's sandwich hungrily  
  
Chuckling, Harry waved his hand and the plate between them became piled high with the delicious lunch, and Sirius wasted no time in attacking it.  
  
"So, did you find out anything interesting?" asked Harry once the other man finished eating  
  
"Not much, but we need to get to work this afternoon with the wards, from what Albus told me they couldn't withstand any kind of attack for long and I could defiantly use your help if you wouldn't mind"  
  
"Fine by me, I need something to distract me for a little while" said Harry as he got to his feet "Just let me get my cloak and I'll be ready" he said as he walked into his bedroom, returning a few moments later wearing his scarlet cloak, staff in hand, but that was not what surprised Sirius, tucked into Harry's robe belt were his sword and dagger. Both were effectively concealed beneath his cloak unless you knew they were there, but why Harry felt he needed to carry them at all worried Sirius.  
  
"Why are you taking your weapons, Harry?" he asked as he pulled his own cloak on  
  
"I just have a feeling that something is going to happen soon and I would rather not be caught unprepared" he said with a shrug of his shoulders "Besides, if we get done early enough, I might try to get some practice in"  
  
"Would like some competition?" asked Sirius with a small smile on his face  
  
"You know how to use a sword?" asked Harry in shock  
  
"Of course!" exclaimed Sirius, sounding slightly offended "My father started teaching me when I was a child, and I was quite good, if I do say so myself" he said proudly  
  
"We will just have to wait and see if you are as good as you say you are now won't we?" Harry said with a smirk as he led the way out of the room  
  
Sirius just raised his eyebrows at this but decided not to comment further as they walked through the halls of the castle, Harry walking beside him in silence. They walked out to the borders of the school grounds before they talked again.  
  
"So, what wards does Dumbledore want you to strengthen?" asked Harry  
  
"All of them, if possible, as well as add some new ones" replied Sirius  
  
"Well, we had better start with the most important, the anti apparition field" said Harry as he raised his staff and instantly a beam of gold light erupted from the red stone and Sirius could see the magic trail along the invisible dome that covered the school for several seconds before he raised his wand and said an incantation under his breath, his golden light mixing with Harry's, though not nearly as strong, and engulfing the entire castle and grounds for several minutes. Once they were done there, they continued walking along the perimeter of the grounds and cast the same spell every couple of meters, effectively strengthening the ward that would keep death eaters from being able to apparate directly onto the grounds. Three hours later, they had decided to call it quits for the day and headed over toward the shore of the lake.  
  
"Now what?" asked Sirius  
  
"Well, I was wondering if you were still up for a friendly competition" said Harry with a closed expression on his face  
  
"Right now?" he asked and was met with a smirk from his godson that caused him to suddenly worry  
  
"Well, of course now, I see nothing else to do" he answered innocently, and before Sirius could answer, Harry had conjured a sword and tossed it to him before withdrawing his own and standing ready, both oblivious to the eyes that were watching them from the top of the astronomy tower.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
James Potter, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew had just arrived atop the astronomy tower, planning their next prank away from prying classmates and annoying professors. They had been distracted from their plotting, though, when a gold light had surrounded the entire school grounds.  
  
"What was that?" asked James in amazement  
  
"I don't know" replied Remus, his voice quiet as he looked over the grounds as well  
  
"Do you think it is you-know-who?" asked Peter hesitantly  
  
"No, I don't think so, it doesn't feel evil" said Sirius  
  
Just then, the light pulsed again before it began to fade away, but not two minutes later, it had returned. The pattern continued for quite some time before the light faded for good, the entire time the four marauders could only watch in amazement and anxiety, waiting to see who came from the boundaries of the school so they could see who had been casting such powerful magic. Once the gold light faded for good, they got their wish as two figures emerged from the forest directly across from the lake. One was wearing a dark blue cloak and had dark brown hair and he was carrying his wand. They were not surprised by his presence and immediately recognized him as the man named Joseph from the ministry. The one walking beside him, though, was more of a surprise. He was wearing a scarlet and gold cloak and had jet black hair that reached the middle of his back and was carrying a dark wood and golden staff in his hand. They were headed toward the lake so James turned toward his friends.  
  
"What do you think they were doing out there?" he asked  
  
"I bet the ministry sent Joseph to strengthen the wards around the school" said Remus  
  
"But why was that transfer student, what's his name, with him, it's not like a sixth year could be any help with this, it's really advanced magic" said Sirius  
  
"His name is Harry, I think" said James "And he was probably just keeping his godfather company or something" he said with a shrug of his shoulders "There is no way he could have been casting any of those spells" he said confidently  
  
"Oh" said Sirius as he turned his attention back to the pair directly below them who appeared to be talking. An instant later though, Harry tossed what looked like a sword to Joseph before he pulled another out from his robes. After a short bow by both, they began to fight, the sound of metal hitting metal cutting through the still spring air.  
  
"Whoa, look at that!" said Peter in awe as they fought back and forth, both appearing equally matched and very talented at the skill.  
  
"They're good" said James "They could probably even beat you, Padfoot"  
  
Sirius just nodded mutely at this. He had always known how to use a sword, his father had taught him from a young age, but he doubted that he could ever be as good as the two he was watching. After nearly twenty minutes of the 'battle' in which both opponents twisted and struck, Harry quit playing around and ended it. With a quick jump to the side to avoid the other's sword, he went on the offence and with several faster than light maneuvers had the other man on the ground and both swords in his hand pointed at his chest. From the tower, they could see both of them laughing as Harry reached down and helped his godfather to his feet before tucking his sword into his belt and picking up his staff from the ground beside them, the other sword vanishing from his hand and the pair made their way to the castle.  
  
"Well, that was defiantly interesting" said Sirius as they finally descended the tower and set off toward the Gryffindor common room  
  
"I'll say" agreed James  
  
"I thought he was just a sixth year, how can he fight like that?" mused Remus  
  
"Maybe they taught sword fighting at his other school" suggested Peter  
  
"No, one of the Ravenclaw girls asked him where he went to school before and he said his godfather had always taught him on his own, until now he has never been to school" said Sirius  
  
"How do you know that?" asked James in amazement  
  
"I overheard her telling one of her friends in the hall a couple days ago" he answered with a shrug  
  
"Well, that explains why he's so quiet I guess, if he's never been to school before" said Peter  
  
"What do you say we try to talk to him after dinner tonight" suggested James as they reached the fat lady "See if we can find out anything else about him and maybe get him to help Padfoot here with his fighting. He must be pretty bored, I mean, have you ever seen him talk to anyone other than his godfather?" he asked  
  
"Ha ha Prongs, very funny" said Sirius "but maybe we could use it as an excuse to talk to him" he agreed  
  
"Good, it's settled then, tonight after dinner we approach Harry and see if we can convince him to help Sirius with his fight and hopefully find out a little more about him, and if nothing else, maybe he could help us decide what to do to the greasy Slytherin" said James as they entered the common room  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
After their quick fight beside the lake, Harry and Sirius went to their rooms to change for dinner, Harry taunting Sirius on his defeat the entire way through the castle.  
  
"Will you be able to help me out again next weekend, Harry? Albus wants me to set up some protection for the village as well" asked Sirius as they walked  
  
"Why wouldn't I be able to go?" asked Harry in curiosity  
  
"Next weekend is a Hogsmeade weekend, I just thought you may want to go to the village with some of the other students" said Sirius without meeting Harry's gaze  
  
"What are you getting at, Sirius?" asked Harry "You know that my time has been spent looking for this girl, I haven't quite had any time or desire to make friends here"  
  
"Harry, you need to take advantage of this situation, you will never get another opportunity like this" said Sirius as he looked at his godson  
  
"Sirius, I can't" said Harry quietly  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Sirius, if I talked to my parents, I don't know if I would be able to keep it a secret that Peter will betray them" said Harry honestly "not to mention, I don't think I'll be able to look at that rat without doing something I would rather not do" he finished  
  
"Harry, your mum and dad were wonderful people, and I think it would do you good to meet them and get to know them while you're here" he said finally, and looked to Harry, and saw shock and longing on his face  
  
"I really want to speak with them Sirius, but what if I end up telling them something I shouldn't?" he asked hesitantly  
  
"Harry, don't worry about that" began Sirius "if you do say something, we can always use a selective memory charm on them so that they only remember that you were here, and nothing else about you"  
  
"Do you really think that would work?" asked Harry, almost hopeful  
  
"I think it already has" said Sirius with a small smile on his face "All I remember about the end of my sixth year was that we had a transfer student, and obviously, I should remember more since I had lessons with him"  
  
Harry gave him a hesitant smile "I'll try to talk to them, but give me a couple of days to figure out what to say, ok"  
  
"Sure, Harry, I'm glad you decided to do this, I don't think you are going to regret it all" said Sirius as he put an arm around Harry's shoulders and gave him a gentle squeeze  
  
"Thanks Sirius" said Harry "I'm going to change for dinner, I'll be ready in a couple of minutes" he said as they parted in the living room and went to their own rooms.  
  
The pair arrived at the great hall just as dinner was beginning, and made their way up toward the head table, but half way there, Harry felt someone grab a hold of his cloak and he spun around and came face to face with his sixteen year old father.  
  
Harry didn't know what to say, so he just stood there and looked dumbly into the face he had been staring at from a distance for four days. After several moments, Harry turned to try and plead with Sirius to help him, but the older man was already at the staff table, oblivious to the fact that he was now walking alone.  
  
Finally, James spoke up "Hi there, I'm James Potter and I was wondering if you would like to eat here with my friends and I instead of with all of the professors" he said with a kind smile on his face, but upon seeing Harry's almost terrified expression, it disappeared to be replaced by concern "Don't worry, we won't bite, well most of us won't anyway" Harry remained silent for another couple of moments, and James, afraid that he had offended the other boy released his grasp on the cloak and spoke again "If you don't want to, it's all right, we just thought you would want some company your age"" he said with a shrug of his shoulders, but Harry had finally found his voice.  
  
"Um, well, um, sure" he sputtered out, and James' face lit up  
  
"Great!" he exclaimed with a wide smile as he shifted closer to the person next to him to make room for Harry on his right, between himself and the younger Sirius.  
  
"Just a minute, though, let me tell my godfather where I am" said Harry as he turned around and walked toward the staff table, Sirius looking at him curiously as he approached.  
  
"Where did you go, Harry? I thought you were right behind me" said the man when Harry stopped directly in front of him.  
  
"I got stopped be a certain group of Gryffindor sixth years who want me to eat with them" said Harry, and Sirius could tell that he was very nervous about something.  
  
"Are you going to eat with them?" asked Sirius  
  
"Yes" answered Harry hesitantly  
  
"Don't worry, Harry, right now you are the same age as them, just treat them like you do Ron, or Dean, or Seamus, just have fun" said Sirius with a reassuring smile on his face.  
  
"Thanks again, Sirius. I'd better go" said Harry as he returned the smile and left his godfather to join the awaiting marauders.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
After Harry had left the table to go speak with his godfather, James turned to his friends with a victorious grin on his face.  
  
"Told you I could convince him to sit with us" he said smugly, but much to his surprise, none of his friends looked as happy.  
  
"What do you think that scar on his face came from?" asked Remus  
  
"What scar?" asked Peter but before he got an answer, James spoke up  
  
"What are you guys worried about?" asked James, sensing the unease of his friends  
  
"Doesn't he seem kind of strange to you Prongs?" asked Sirius  
  
"What do you mean, Padfoot?"  
  
"He just seems so distant, like there is much more to him than meets the eye" said Remus "And what about that staff he is always carrying around?" he asked as he risked a glance at Harry who was standing in front of the staff table, speaking quietly to his godfather, clutching the staff tightly in his right hand  
  
"Well, he doesn't seem dangerous with it, and maybe he's just quiet" said a voice from beside James, and they all turned to see Lily taking her seat.  
  
"Hi Lily" said James as he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek  
  
"Well, I don't know about you, but I can't wait until next week to see how good he is a magic, we are doing practical lessons in charms, defense, and transfiguration all week, no more theory or book lessons" said Sirius anxiously  
  
"Just give him a chance guys, he seems perfectly nice to me" said James in a loud whisper as he noticed Harry was making his way back toward them.  
  
The boy gave them all a hesitant smile as he took his seat between James and Sirius and lowered the cowl of his cloak. This was the first opportunity any of them had gotten to see his features up close since he always sat at the back of classes and they sat at the front, and anytime he was seen walking through the halls, his hood was up. Until now, all they knew about him was that he had long black hair and Remus had been the only one to spot the scars on his face until now. They all just surveyed his face curiously for several moments, noticing the bright green eyes immediately, but their attention was soon drawn to the lightning bolt scar on his forehead and the jagged one on his cheek and the smaller one over his left eye. Finally though, Harry began to shift uncomfortably under their intense scrutiny and directed his gaze toward his plate while his hands twisted around the hem of his cloak.  
  
James noticed what he had been doing and hastily smiled at the boy next to him "Allow me to introduce you to my friends, the bloke you are sitting next to is Sirius Black" he began, and then directed his gaze across the table to the other two boys "Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, and this beautiful girl is my girl friend, Lily Evans" he said with a affectionate look toward the girl. Harry looked toward her as well and felt a rush of warmth well up in side of him as he saw how much in love his parents already were.  
  
"Nice to meet you all" he finally said when he was able to tear his eyes from his parents  
  
"Same here" said Sirius  
  
"So, Harry, why don't you tell up a little about yourself" said James as he began dishing food onto his plate, and he didn't notice Harry falter with his own dishing of food.  
  
'Well boy, are you going to tell them the truth and save their lives?' asked the voice, suddenly making an appearance  
  
'No' replied Harry  
  
'Just think of what could happen if you just told them the truth now, you could grow up with your parents and never have to live with your aunt and uncle. Think of how much happier you would be, or you could just kill the rat now and he wouldn't be able to betray them and Sirius would never have to go to Azkaban'  
  
'Would you just leave me alone already!' shouted Harry in his mind  
  
'I am a part of you now, and until you surrender yourself to me, I will never leave you alone' replied the voice smugly 'Well, are you going to tell your parents the truth or not?'  
  
'No, because if I told them the truth, then you would never have been stopped when I was a baby and you would have succeeded in destroying everything' replied Harry 'Now, would you please just leave me so that I can enjoy my meal in peace, since you are obviously still too weak to do anything else' said Harry in a taunting tone  
  
'You will regret saying that to me boy, nobody calls the dark lord weak and lives'  
  
'But I only speak the truth, and all of your previous threats to kill me have obviously failed, why should this one be any different?'  
  
'Rest assured that I will destroy you Potter, and when I am done with you, your friends will follow as well as your little girlfriend. They will all perish by your hand and you will be able to do nothing to stop me. You will never be able to do the spell because you will never figure out the identity of my daughter. It is only a matter of time until I over power you' he said as the voice faded away.  
  
During the entire conversation, no one had noticed that Harry's hands had begun to shake slightly or that his face had gone several shades paler than normal. Voldemort's words frightened him, what if they never did find his daughter and could never perform the spell to kill him for good? He knew that he could not keep the evil wizard at bay for ever, one day he would take control of Harry and his powers, and he dreaded what he knew would happen when that day came, his confident attitude toward the voice was just a cover for how scared he truly was. The sound of his name being spoken brought him out of his thoughts.  
  
"Harry? Are you all right?" asked James  
  
"Sorry, my mind just drifted off for a moment, what were you saying?" he asked  
  
"Where are you from originally?" asked Sirius  
  
"Great Britain, but I've spent the past several years in London with my godfather" he replied, again impressed with his ability to lie  
  
"Oh, how long will you be at Hogwarts?" asked James  
  
"Just till the end of term, then we will be moving on again" he replied  
  
"Well, the real reason we wanted to talk to you was to ask you where you learned to fight so well" said Remus, and Harry's brow furrowed in confusion  
  
"What are you talking about?" he asked the four students who looked to each other before James answered  
  
"Well, we were sitting in the astronomy tower this afternoon and saw you and your godfather fighting and we were just wondering where you learned how to fight so well" he said innocently  
  
"Oh, well my godfather taught me some of it, and one of his old school mates taught me the rest. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well, Sirius here has always been the best at the school when it comes to sword fighting, and we were wondering if you would be willing to give him some pointers, and maybe the rest of us as well" said James as he studied the other boy intently  
  
"Sure, but I don't know how much time I'm going to have, Joseph needs me to help him out with his work nearly every day after classes, but maybe next weekend?" he suggested  
  
"Great! Do you want to go with us to Hogsmeade first, then we can come back here and work" said Sirius  
  
"Sounds good to me" replied Harry with a smile on his face, becoming more at ease with his parents and their friends, well all but Peter who he was all but ignoring  
  
They ate in silence for several minutes more before Lily spoke up "Harry, where did you get that staff?" she asked hesitantly  
  
Harry unconsciously reached out to touch the intricate wooden handle that was propped up between himself and James before he answered her, but it wasn't the same answer he had given the headmaster when he had asked the same question "I'm not entirely sure where it came from" he began "One day, my mentor handed me my wand, but when I touched it, it changed into this, and I've had it ever since. He said it had something to do with my magical powers coming into their full strength" he finished as he looked back into the eyes that were so like his own.  
  
The marauders just looked at him in slight confusion and amazement for a few moments before James took the initiative once again and spoke up for all of them "Wow" he said "So you can do magic without a wand if you have that staff"  
  
"Pretty much" answered Harry, preferring not to tell them that he could do magic without the staff as well, seeing as Pettigrew was here.  
  
"Why do you travel with Joseph, Harry?" asked Peter  
  
"He's my legal guardian" answered Harry in an expressionless tone, and though the others could sense that this was a delicate topic, Peter didn't and pressed on  
  
"Where are your parents?" he asked  
  
"Dead" replied Harry in the same cold tone  
  
"How did they die?" asked Peter, and the others all tensed when they say the hard expression on Harry's face and the cold fury radiating from his eyes as his hand reached out and took a hold of his staff tightly, his knuckles turning white.  
  
"They were betrayed by one of their best friends whom they trusted and it turns out that he was a death eater and sold them out to Voldemort at the first opportunity and he killed them" Harry replied in a level voice and they could practically feel the anger radiating from him, and Peter finally got the picture and let the subject drop.  
  
"So," said Sirius, sensing the tension in the air surrounding this topic "Do you play quidditch?"  
  
Harry's expression softened immediately and his face broke into a small smile "Yes" he answered  
  
"What position?" asked James  
  
"Seeker" replied Harry  
  
"Maybe we could have a friendly game sometime" said Sirius "James and Lily play chasers on the house team, Remus and I are beaters, and Peter could play as keeper. We could challenge some of the other students from other houses" he said excitedly  
  
Before Harry could reply though, a hissing sound could be heard coming from under his cloak on his arm.  
  
"What was that?" asked Lily nervously  
  
"It sounded like a snake" said Remus  
  
Harry decided not to lie to them about his ability to speak to snakes, so he lifted his sleeve to show them Sherlock "It was a snake, my pet snake, Sherlock" he said as the emerald serpent lifted his head to survey the other students.  
  
"Harry, those are very poisonous" said Lily "The only cure for their bite is to drink a potion with a drop of their blood in it as well as a drop of a parseltongues blood in it" she said as she looked at the snake wearily  
  
"He's harmless" reassured Harry  
  
"How do you know?" asked Peter  
  
"Because he promised me that he wouldn't harm anyone unless they tried to hurt him or me" he replied as he rolled his sleeve back over the snake who had settled back down  
  
"What do you mean 'he promised you'" asked Peter in disbelief "You can't talk to snakes, only very evil wizards can" he said with certainty  
  
"Yes I can" replied Harry, getting tired of the rat faced boy very quickly  
  
The other marauders and Lily just looked at him with apprehension before he gave them a reassuring grin "Don't worry, I'm not a death eater or anything, I got the ability to talk to snakes from a dark curse that an evil wizard tried to cast on me that went wrong" he explained  
  
"Well, if you're sure he won't bite us" said Sirius hesitantly  
  
"Don't worry, he won't bite unless he is provoked" answered Harry as he went back to his dinner, and the others soon followed suite  
  
The topic of conversation soon turned to classes and the rest of the meal passed pleasantly enough for Harry, with Peter not causing anymore awkward moments or demanding any answers Harry wasn't willing to give. Before long, the other students began to rise and make their way to their respective common rooms for the night, and the marauders and Lily and Harry rose as well and left the hall together.  
  
"Where are you staying, Harry?" asked Lily as they walked up the stairs  
  
"I have my own room in the staff quarters with Joseph" he replied  
  
"The staff quarters! You know where they are?" asked Sirius in awe  
  
"Of course, I am living there" replied Harry with a smile  
  
"Would you be willing to let your new friends in on their location?" he asked with a mischievous gleam in his eye  
  
Harry decided not to let Sirius miss out on the opportunity to see and speak to James and Lily again, so he agreed "Sure, why don't we go there now? I could introduce you to Joseph, I'm sure he would like to meet you" he said with a smile  
  
"Great!" exclaimed the younger Sirius as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation and eagerness  
  
Harry laughed "So, are all of you coming?" he asked of James, Lily, Remus, and Peter  
  
"I need to go do some homework, maybe next time" said Peter, much to Harry's relief, but the others all nodded eagerly  
  
Harry led them up the stairs and toward the corridor on the fourth floor that housed the professors' rooms "Here we are" he said as they stopped in front of a painting of an old witch in purple robes  
  
"Hello Harry" she said pleasantly "Bringing friends by?" she asked  
  
"Yes Judy, has my godfather come up yet?" he asked  
  
"Yes, just a few minutes ago" she replied  
  
"Thanks, witchhazle" he said and the portrait swung open to admit them "Wait out here for just a minute, let me make sure that Joseph doesn't mind company tonight" he said as he entered the room and closed the door behind him.  
  
"Well, he is defiantly not all that meets the eye is he?" asked Remus once the portrait closed in front of them  
  
"Defiantly not" replied James "But he doesn't seem too bad"  
  
"I agree, he's really nice" said Lily  
  
"I can't believe that he has a poisonous snake for a pet" said Sirius "But I guess he's not worried that it will bite him since he can talk to it"  
  
Just then, the portrait swung open again and Harry motioned them to enter, and when they walked into the room, they saw Joseph sitting on the back of the couch looking at them with a warm smile on his face "Hello, I'm Joseph, Harry's godfather" he said as he stood  
  
"Joseph, this is Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter, and Lily Evans" said Harry with a smile on his face as well  
  
"Nice to meet all of you" he said "Make yourselves at home, but be warned, I have heard of your reputation, and if I find any prank items in my rooms, you will regret it" he said with a twinkle in his dark blue eyes  
  
"We swear, we won't pull any pranks on you" assured James "But could you help us pull some on a certain group of Slytherins, Harry?"  
  
"If one of them is Severus Snape, count me in" he said with a smile  
  
"Oh, have you met the greasy git?" asked Sirius  
  
"Only by reputation" replied Harry "But that is enough to make me not like him much"  
  
"I think you'll fit right in with us, Harry" said Remus with a grin  
  
They spent the next several hours talking about general topics ranging from the various pranks the marauders had pulled to the reactions of the rest of the school, and what they were planning for the future attacks on the Slytherin students, causing both Harry and the older Sirius to laugh constantly, one hearing the pranks for the first time, the other reliving happier times with his best friends. At ten o'clock, the marauders said their good nights to Harry and Joseph before going back to Gryffindor tower, exhausted. Harry and Sirius stayed up for another hour, talking about James and Lily before they too retired to their rooms for a night of well deserved sleep, both content after speaking to two people they had longed to see for far too long.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: All right, I know this chapter was kind of slow, but it was long at least, thanks for your reviews of the last one, and please let me know what you thought of this one as well! As I said last time, since I am in the middle of finals, I'm not positive when the next chapter will be posted, but hopefully by Monday, Tuesday morning at the latest. Enjoy and Review! 


	42. Phoenix, Griffin, and Traitors

Chapter 42  
  
The next three days, Harry and Sirius awoke early and went to work to finish strengthening the wards already in place around the school before they got started adding any new protective wards. They spent the entire time working, and only made it back up to the castle in time for dinner on the last day, both exhausted, not only physically but mentally as well. As they walked between the tables, James once again pulled Harry to a stop and the green eyed boy smiled at them wearily before collapsing into the same seat he had occupied the last time he had seen them  
  
"Are you ok, Harry?" asked Lily in concern  
  
"Uh, hu, fine" he mumbled into the arms of his cloak that his head was resting on, completely oblivious to the food on the table. The marauders and Lily looked at each other worriedly before James nudged Harry in the side.  
  
"Um, mate, you look exhausted, where have you been for the past couple of days, we haven't seen you anywhere"  
  
Harry picked up his head and began to dish some food onto his plate before he answered "I was helping Si.Joseph, strengthen the wards around the castle" he explained, feeling a cold chill run through his blood as he almost slipped up and called his godfather by his real name in his exhaustion.  
  
The other students looked to each other in confusion at his words before James spoke up again "Were you really helping him?" he asked unbelieving  
  
"Yes" answered Harry as he looked to James in confusion "Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well, isn't that very advanced magic? How can a sixth year do it?" answered Sirius for his friend  
  
Harry gave them all a half smirk before he answered "Well, I'm actually not supposed to be a sixth year, I'm supposed to be a seventh, but because of certain, circumstances, I never received the last three months of my sixth year studies, so we decided that I would do them now"  
  
"Well, still, not even a normal seventh year should be able to do that kind of spell without being very powerful and specially trained" said Lily  
  
Harry just smiled wider "Well, I'm not a normal seventh year wizard" he said "Could you please pass the ham?" he asked before any of them had an opportunity to think about his words or respond to them, signaling that line of questioning was closed.  
  
The rest of dinner passed quickly, and when it was over, Harry left the Gryffindor students behind and proceeded with his godfather to their rooms where the pair immediately fell asleep.  
  
Thursday morning dawned bright and clear, and Harry, felling refreshed and awake, went to the great hall early with Sirius, and was not surprised to see that they were among the first to arrive.  
  
"What are you going to do today, Sirius?" asked Harry around his breakfast  
  
"I will probably go down to the village and see what all needs to be done down there this weekend" he replied "What classes do you have today?"  
  
"Potions, History, and Care of Magical Creatures, why do you ask?"  
  
"Well, I was going to see if you were available for some training for your animagus studies" he replied with a mysterious smile  
  
"What do you mean? I can change into just about anything, why do I need more training?" he asked in confusion  
  
"Well, before we left, Albus and I were discussing something that I want you to try, if you're up to it" he replied cryptically, and Harry was even more curious now  
  
"Well, what was it?" he finally demanded when he realized Sirius wasn't going to volunteer the information  
  
"How would you feel about becoming a magical animagus?" he asked as he looked to Harry, trying to see his reaction  
  
"A what?" he asked, clearly confused  
  
"A magical animagus, changing into a creature with magical powers instead of a normal animal like you have been doing" he explained  
  
"Is that even possible?" asked Harry speculatively  
  
"Well, that is what we want to find out, it hasn't been done before, but Albus and I think that you may be able to do it, so are you willing to give it a shot?" he asked, knowing perfectly well what the answer would be  
  
"Sure!" exclaimed Harry "When do we get started?" he asked excitedly  
  
"Well, how about as soon as you get done with your lessons today?" asked Sirius  
  
"Why not now?" asked Harry "Lessons are all pretty easy today and I would rather not have to show the entire sixth year class my powers, especially since I would have to do everything wandless or with my staff if I don't have to" he explained  
  
"No, you had better go to classes, just try to do everything with the staff to prevent anyone from becoming suspicious, not to mention that you have already missed all of your lessons this week and you need to catch up" said Sirius "We need to keep our eyes out for this girl still, and you never know when something she does will single her out, her father is a very powerful wizard, so watch for an above average student, and practical lessons will show us just how powerful everyone is" he said  
  
"Ok, but can we start after classes are over?" asked Harry hopefully, sounding every bit like a five year old on Christmas morning  
  
"Yes, Harry, come down to the edge of the forest beside the lake, we'll work just inside the forest so that no one sees us, I know where the perfect little clearing is" said Sirius with a wide smile  
  
"Ok" replied Harry happily, and he noticed that the other students were beginning to get to their feet and head for their first class of the day, and that the marauders were motioning him over and waiting for him to go to potions.  
  
"I have to go to class, I'll see you this afternoon" he said hurriedly as he got to his feet, grabbed his bag and staff and set off toward the group of Gryffindors awaiting him.  
  
The day passed far too slowly as far as Harry was concerned. After an unbearably long potions lesson that made lessons with Snape appear pleasurable, they went to an equally boring History of Magic lesson followed by Care of Magical Creatures, which was the only interesting thing they did all day. As they made their way to the lesson, Harry caught sight of a very familiar figure with scarlet and gold feathers, Professor Grubblyplank had apparently borrowed Fawkes, the headmasters' phoenix, for this lesson and they gathered around her on the grounds next to Hagrid's hut.  
  
"Good afternoon students" she began "Headmaster Dumbledore has been kind enough to allow us to use his new pet for today's lesson. Now, can anybody tell me what kind of animal this is?" she asked, and Harry was shocked that nobody volunteered an answer, though the marauders and Lily were looking from the head of his staff, to the clasp of his cloak, and back to the magnificent bird in curiosity. Seeing as no one else was going to answer, Harry hesitantly raised his hand.  
  
"Yes, Mr." the professor looked at for a moment, obviously just now realizing that she had never been informed of Harry's last name, so he decided to supply her with one.  
  
"Pearson, ma'am" he replied with a smile  
  
"Very well, Mr. Pearson, can you tell me what kind of bird this is?" she asked speculatively, as though she didn't think he actually knew the answer.  
  
"Yes professor, it is a phoenix" he replied  
  
"I am impressed Mr. Pearson, not many people have ever seen a phoenix before, they are normally very private creatures and very rare. Can you tell me anything about them Harry?" she asked, giving him her undivided attention and ignoring the other sixth years present  
  
"Well, they are able to carry extreme weights, and their tears contain very strong healing agents that can cure nearly any injury, and their song is well known as one of the purest forms of light magic" he explained, and he felt his cheeks begin to burn from the stares he was receiving.  
  
"Very good Mr. Pearson!" exclaimed the professor, but before she could say anything else, Fawkes spread his magnificent wings and flew over to Harry where he perched on his shoulder and looked into Harry's eyes, and Harry immediately blocked out everything around him as he returned the steady gaze.  
  
"'Lo Fawkes" he said softly "How are you?" he asked, even though he knew he wouldn't receive any answer, but the phoenix began to sing a low and beautiful tune, and through it, Harry could understand what the bird was saying.  
  
'It is good to see you my young friend' said the calm and kind voice and Harry looked to the bird in amazement tinged with a little bit of shock  
  
"Did you just say something?" he asked the bird anxiously, but before he received an answer, Fawkes spread his wings again and left Harry's shoulder to return to his perch just as a flash of gold caught his eyes. There was another phoenix flying toward him, and it flew in a tight circle over his head before descending to the grass at his feet and beginning to sing as well.  
  
'Yes, my child, you can understand us' replied the bird with slight amusement in her voice  
  
"Who are you?" Harry asked of the new bird as he looked her over, her voice sounded vaguely familiar but he couldn't place it. She was smaller that Fawkes, and her feathers were of the richest gold trimmed in the same scarlet that Fawkes possessed. Her black eyes were looking up to Harry and he could almost see pleasure shining in them.  
  
'My name is Terres, and I am your guardian' she replied, and suddenly Harry recognized her voice  
  
"It was you!" he exclaimed "You were the one from my vision, you gave me my staff" he said in sudden understanding  
  
'Yes my child, it is I who has been protecting you, and I have come to tell you something of great importance'  
  
"What is it?" asked Harry, suddenly concerned  
  
'You must remember that no matter what happens, you must not alter the past. You will be tempted to do so very soon, but things must remain the way they are' she replied in a stern tone  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Harry, confused by her warning  
  
'You will know when the time comes, my precious child' she replied, and Harry knew that if she could, she would be smiling 'I will remain with you for now, and protect you, but I will not always be able to do so, there are many things left for you to do here, and you must do them on your own, even though they will be difficult' she said kindly  
  
"Thank you, Terres, I am very grateful" he said honestly, and the phoenix bowed her head to him before spreading her wings and taking up Fawkes' place on his shoulder, allowing Harry's attention to return to his current surroundings, to be met with sixty pairs of eyes looking to him in shock.  
  
Finally, the professor spoke up "Harry, you can speak to phoenixes" she asked in an amazed whisper  
  
"Apparently so" replied Harry "This is the first time I've ever done it though" he said with an embarrassed smile, fully aware of the eyes still looking at him and Terres.  
  
"That is wonderful Harry! Could you please introduce us to your new friend there?" she asked as she motioned to the gold phoenix  
  
"Sure, this is Terres" he replied as he shifted his feet nervously, trying to escape the looks being sent his way  
  
"Well, after that very interesting display, let us get back to the lesson" replied the professor, as though she sensed his unease, and after a few minutes, all the students had turned back to her and begun to listen to her lecture, but six students weren't listening to her, instead they turned to each other to talk.  
  
"Harry, that was incredible!" exclaimed James  
  
"Really, how did you learn to do that?" asked Sirius  
  
"Sometimes I think you are really dumb Padfoot, you can't just learn to do something like that, it is a gift that you are born with" said Remus "Is this really the first time you've ever talked to a phoenix, Harry?"  
  
"Yes" replied Harry, "I've been around them several times, but this is the first time I've ever talked to one"  
  
"What was she saying to you?" asked Peter "We could hear your side of the conversation, but she was just singing"  
  
"I can't say" said Harry in a warning tone  
  
"She has spoken to her before though, you said that you saw her in a dream, and that she gave you your staff" he said, demanding an answer to his question  
  
"Yes, she spoke to me, but in a vision, not a dream, and she sent me my staff, she is my guardian" he said tensely  
  
"Leave him alone Wormtail, he obviously doesn't want us to know what they talked about, it's probably private" said Lily and Harry shot her a grateful look  
  
"So, is she going to be staying with you?" asked James  
  
"Yes, for a little while anyway" said Harry with a smile  
  
"So, what are you doing after class Harry, do you want to come up to the common room and play a game of chess?" asked Remus, changing the subject  
  
"I wish I could, but Joseph is giving me some private lessons after class, maybe later tonight after dinner" he suggested  
  
"What kind of lessons?" asked Sirius curiously  
  
"He had been helping me start my animagus training" Harry said, eager to see their reactions  
  
"Oh, um, isn't that, um illegal, um for, um under aged wizards to do?" asked Sirius as he shuffled his feet nervously and looked between his friends who were all looking decidedly anxious  
  
"Well, what the ministry doesn't know can't hurt them, but you already know that don't you?" he asked with raised eyebrows  
  
They others all looked to each other with alarmed expressions on their faces and Harry had to try hard to contain his amusement.  
  
"Um, we don't know what you're talking about" said Sirius finally  
  
"Oh, I think you do, but don't worry, I won't tell" said Harry with a mysterious smile on his face  
  
"How do you know!?" demanded Peter loudly, causing several of their classmates to look at them curiously  
  
Harry looked at him coldly, beginning to wonder not for the first time what the other marauders had seen in the rat during their school days "It doesn't matter how I know, I just do, and I already said that I wouldn't tell" he said levelly just as the professor dismissed the lesson and the students began to make their way back toward the castle. Harry looked up toward the school and saw the familiar blue cloaked figure of his godfather heading his way. "I'll see you guys later" he said as he set off toward the older man.  
  
"That boy just keeps getting more and more strange" said Peter  
  
"What do you mean, strange?" asked James  
  
"Well look, he can talk to snakes and phoenixes, he carries around a staff that a phoenix gave him, and he knows that we are animagus', not to mention he gets defensive over the littlest things" said Peter "I think he's hiding something" he said with certainty  
  
"Oh you're just upset that he gets the best of you every time, Wormtail" said Sirius with a laugh  
  
"Yeah, he has a point Peter, I think Harry is just very observant or something, we did go into the forest last night, maybe he just saw us or something, and he said that he could talk to snakes because of some sort of curse that went wrong" said James with a shrug "But I admit something about him is strange"  
  
"Yeah, I agree, so what should we do about it?" asked Remus and the other four gathered around him just outside the entrance to the castle  
  
"I think we should follow him" suggested Peter  
  
"Are you sure?" asked Lily skeptically  
  
"Yeah, what could it hurt? He's just doing animagus training, and it's not like we've never seen it before" said Peter with certainty "Come on" and he set off toward the direction that Harry had gone with his godfather, the others reluctantly following behind him. "James, do you have the map?" he asked as they reached the lake  
  
"Yes" said James as he withdrew the mentioned item from his bag. "Why do you want it?" he asked  
  
"Well, it shows the edges of the forest, maybe we can see them and find out where they went to" he said  
  
"Whatever you say Peter" mumbled James "I solemnly swear I am up to no good" he said as he put his wand to the parchment, and an instant later, lines began to spread across the parchment outlining the castle and surrounding grounds and James' eyes grew wide as he starred at the map.  
  
"Can you see them?" asked Sirius, getting into the spirit of spying on Harry and leaning over James' shoulder "What in the hell?" he mumbled to himself as he looked at the map as well and to his best friend  
  
"What's wrong guys?" asked Remus and Peter at once and Lily looked to them expecting an answer as well  
  
"Um, I think you should see this for yourselves" said James as he handed the map to Remus who became wide eyes as well when he saw the names over the dots just inside the forest, Harry Potter and Sirius Black. He turned quickly to look at the younger Sirius and then to James before he passed the map to Lily who had the same reaction, and then to Peter who was speechless.  
  
"Sirius, James?" he questioned "What is going on here?" he asked  
  
"I have no idea" said James "I am the last Potter, as far as I know, and Sirius is standing right here, how can he be in two places at once?"  
  
"I don't think he is" said Lily cautiously  
  
"What do you mean?" asked James  
  
"I'm not completely sure, but have you ever heard of people traveling through time?" she asked hesitantly  
  
"I've read something about it" agreed Remus  
  
"Are you saying that my future self and James' son are Harry and Joseph?" asked Sirius in doubt "But why didn't he tell us?"  
  
"I'm not certain about Harry, but it is obvious that Joseph is an older version of you" said Lily  
  
"You know, Harry does look a lot like you, James, now that I think about it, if his hair were shorter and his eyes not green he could be your twin" said Remus thinking out loud "And the same goes for Joseph and Sirius, if he had black hair and blue eyes, I could see that as well" he said evaluating both James and Sirius thoughtfully  
  
"So, if they are really Sirius and James' son, what should we do?" asked Peter, finally speaking up  
  
"Nothing" said James and Sirius together  
  
"Why not?" asked Peter in confusion  
  
"Because" began James "We obviously not meant to know why they are here, or who they really are, so we can't tell them that we know" he said forcefully  
  
"Are you sure?" asked Peter "They could tell us what happens to us in the future, it would be kind of fun to find out"  
  
"Absolutely not Peter" said Lily "They obviously didn't tell us because they could change the future if we knew anything about it"  
  
"Fine, but let's go see what they're up to" he relented as he turned and walked toward the spot on the map that said where Harry and Sirius were working, "Hey James, do you have the cloak?" he asked suddenly.  
  
"Good idea, Wormtail" said James as he pulled the cloak from his bag and threw it over the five of them.  
  
They walked quietly through the edge of the forest and in no time they had reached a small clearing that Harry and his godfather were standing in the middle of. They five students crouched down behind the bushes and looked through the leaves to watch what was happening in the clearing in silence so that they wouldn't be heard.  
  
"Ok Harry, according to what Albus said before we left, as far as we know, this should be just like any animagus transformation, you just have to think about the magical powers of the animal as well as the physical characteristics. Do you think you can do it?" asked the older man  
  
"I don't think it would be too difficult Sirius, is there anything else I need to worry about?" asked Harry as he set his staff against a tree on the far side of the clearing from the marauders  
  
"Well, Albus said something about having to be careful not to use the magical powers of the animal until you are certain you can control them, so to be safe, don't use any at all until we get back, just in case" he warned "Why don't you put Sherlock down and give it a shot?" he asked  
  
"Great!" said Harry enthusiastically as he knelt over and allowed the snake to slither from his wrist "What about a Griffin first?" he asked  
  
"Sounds good, but be careful" said the other man with a smile as he backed away  
  
They watched as Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was surrounded by a faint golden glow for several tense minutes before he fell over and was sitting on his hands and knees. His body then began to grow, but before they could see anything else, the golden glow became so bright that it hid Harry within its light. After several moments, the light suddenly disappeared, leaving behind a brilliant lion with the wings of an eagle lying on the forest floor on his stomach with its legs curled underneath it. The creature opened its eyes and surveyed the area around it before shaking its long red mane. Cautiously, it unfolded its legs and got to his feet, testing his new appendages as he continued to survey his surroundings. As he eyes raked over the marauders, they all noticed that they were brilliant green, just like Harry's, and on his left shoulder was a white patch of hair in the shape of a lightning bolt. Suddenly and without warning, he threw back his head and let loose a ground shaking roar that echoed off the trees and caused all of the birds nesting to flee to the air. He then set back on his hind legs and spread his wings to their full extent and looked at them as if he were appraising their value.  
  
"Don't even think about it Harry" said a voice from the far side of the clearing and the Griffin turned his head toward the man and obediently folded his wings back to his sides and sat on his haunches and tilted his head at the man as though asking him why.  
  
"No Harry, you can't be seen flying around the forest, Griffins are not quite supposed to be here, and I don't have to tell you what will happen if you are seen" warned the man, and the Griffin nodded his head in agreement "Now, change back, we need to discuss some things"  
  
The Griffin nodded again and was surrounded by the gold light and in much less time than the first transformation took, Harry was sitting in the middle of the clearing "Whoa, that was amazing Sirius!" he said with a smile on his face  
  
"Well, don't keep me in suspense, tell me about it!" demanded the other man as he took a seat beside Harry on the ground  
  
"I don't know how to describe it Sirius, it wasn't like when I change into any other animal, I could actually feel the instincts that a Griffin has and I could hear other Griffins speaking to me, they must communicate telepathically or something" he said, the smile never diminishing from his face  
  
"That's great Harry, you could really help to explain a lot of the mysteries surrounding magical creatures when everything gets back to normal again" Sirius said excitedly  
  
At his words though, Harry's face fell "What if things never get back to normal, Sirius?" he asked in a quiet voice "What if we never find who we are looking for?"  
  
"We will Harry, it will just take time" assured the man as he put his arm over Harry's shoulders and pulled him close "I promise you, I will never let him win" he said in determination  
  
"I know Sirius, but what if you can't keep that promise? He's still very weak from what happened in defense that day, but he is getting stronger, he makes his presence known every day now. He said we would never find her, what if he's right?" he asked worriedly  
  
"Harry, you know not to take anything he says seriously, he is just trying to wear you down again. Things will work out" he said in confidence  
  
"I hope so Sirius, I really do. Why can't things be easy for us though?" he asked and Sirius cracked a small smile at him  
  
"Because then our lives would be boring Harry" he said with a laugh, but Harry was still serious  
  
"Why does Voldemort have to ruin everything for us though?" he asked "First he kills my parents, then he tries to kill me on more than one occasion, then one of his servants frames you for their deaths and you are sent to Azkaban, and if that is not enough, he has to go and pull this!" shouted Harry in exasperation as he got to his feet  
  
"Harry, calm down, you're letting him get to you again" said Sirius forcefully as he got to his feet as well  
  
"Sirius, how can I calm down! We've been here for over a week now and we're no closer to finding her than we were before we left! This is hopeless, he's going to win and kill everyone!" Harry yelled back just as forcefully waving his hands frantically  
  
"Listen to yourself Harry! This is not you talking, it's Voldemort. You never give up hope so quickly, what happened to you?" demanded Sirius as forced Harry's arms to his sided "And if you don't calm down, you're going to do something you regret without meaning to"  
  
"Sirius, what use is it fighting anymore, huh? Every time he comes back, he's stronger than ever, I just don't think I can beat him this time, this entire mission is hopeless, we don't even know who we are looking for, and without her, the spell can't be done and he will win" Harry said quietly as he collapsed to the ground in the middle of the forest with his head held in his hands  
  
"Harry, we will find her, it's just going to take more time, and it is worth it to keep fighting him, just think about everyone at home, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Remus, Albus Severus, Dudley, all of your housemates, Ginny, and everyone else who is important to you. You can't give up or they will all be killed. Think about Ginny, Harry, you know she will be the first harmed if you give up, you know that as well as I do. They are all worth fighting for, you can't give into what he tries to tell you or he will win. We will find her, I promise you that, and then we will go back, do the spell, and then start to live like we have always both wanted, without Voldemort" he said with determination  
  
Harry looked up into his face and gave him a weary half smile "Thanks Sirius, I needed to hear that" he said quietly  
  
"No problem, Harry" said the other man with a smile "It's the truth"  
  
"So" said Harry after several silent minutes "What did you want to talk about?"  
  
"Oh yeah, I was going to ask you who you're new friend was" he said, motioning toward Terres who was sitting on the ground next to his staff with her head under her wing.  
  
Harry's face immediately broke into a wide smile "Oh, that is Terres" he began "Do you remember when I told you someone spoke to me during my vision, when I touched my wand again?" he asked  
  
"Yes, the one who kept calling you her child?" he questioned  
  
"That's her, well, it turns out that the voice I heard was Terres, she said she was my guardian, the one who has been keeping me alive. She's going to stay with me for a little while, she said I still had things to accomplish here" he said as he gazed at the gold bird fondly.  
  
"Really?" asked Sirius as he looked at the bird in wonder "You can understand what she told you?" he asked  
  
"Yes, Fawkes spoke to me as well, and I could understand him too"  
  
"Fawkes?" questioned Sirius "You could understand him? Have you ever spoken to him before?"  
  
"No, never" said Harry  
  
"Did she tell you anything else?" asked Sirius  
  
"Yes, she told me that no matter how tempted I was, I couldn't change the past, but that I will be tempted to do so very soon. Do you know what she was talking about, Sirius? Can you remember anything important happening around this time?" he asked as he turned to look at his godfather quizzically  
  
"Not really, but like I said, everything around this time is pretty vague" he said with his brow furrowed "I do remember the village being attacked and you fighting with some death eaters, but I don't remember what happened"  
  
"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see" said Harry is resignation "What are we doing for the rest of the afternoon?" he asked  
  
"Well, I have nothing planned, but don't you need to do some homework or something?" he asked pointedly  
  
"Yeah, a little, and I told the infamous marauders that I would come to the common room tonight for a little while, so I guess we had better get going" he said as he got to his feet  
  
"So, what do you think about us, huh?" he asked with a grin on his face  
  
"I don't know for sure yet. You seem just like you do now, but less reserved, Remus is more out spoken than he is now, and you know how I feel about Peter, he just keeps pushing for answers about things I don't want to say. James and Lily are incredible though, I'm glad I listened to you and started to get to know them" he said with a smile  
  
"I'm glad you like them. I just wish you had gotten the opportunity to know them when you were a child" said Sirius back "but we had better get going before we are missed at the castle. I have a meeting with Albus in a little while, so I'll meet you in the rooms later" he said as he got to his feet as well.  
  
Harry knelt down and his snake curled himself back around his arm and he then out stretched his hand and his staff came to him. He then pulled his cowl back over his head and set off following Sirius from the clearing, Terres flying behind them. When they were safely out of the forest and out of earshot, the marauders all let out a breath that they didn't even know they had been holding and all faced each other, eyes wide.  
  
"Well, now that was interesting" said Remus finally  
  
"I'll say" muttered James as he looked to Lily and Sirius "I guess he's our future son, huh Lil's" he said  
  
"Yeah, it would look that way, he said both his parents had died when he was a baby, and that he was happy to be able to get to know us, so I guess we were them" she said quietly  
  
"What I want to know is what I did to get sent to Azkaban" said Sirius  
  
"Nothing" said Remus "They said one of Voldemort's followers framed you for James and Lily's deaths"  
  
"Oh" muttered Sirius "I was worried for a minute there that I got caught for being an unregistered animagus" he said, trying to lighten the mood  
  
"Speaking of which, I thought it was impossible to change into a magical animal" said James  
  
"Apparently not" said Sirius "Your son seems able to do anything" he said with a smirk  
  
"Do you really think he can change into more than one animal?" asked Remus "He said changing into the Griffin wasn't like any other animal, how many others forms do you think he has?" he questioned  
  
"Who knows" said James "And what about all of that about you-know-who? What were they talking about?"  
  
"I have no idea, but I don't think it would be wise to ask them, it seemed like a touchy subject" warned Lily  
  
James, Sirius, and Remus all nodded in agreement to that  
  
"We need to get back, Harry might get suspicious if we're not there when he comes" said Remus as he stood  
  
"You guys go ahead, I need to talk to Professor Sprout about our homework" said Peter as he left his friends behind and set off in the opposite direction of the castle. James just shrugged his shoulders and walked with the other three toward the school in silence, not noticing Peter walking not toward the greenhouses but toward the village.  
  
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That night at dinner, the marauders couldn't help but look suspiciously at Harry, but if he noticed their strange attitude, he didn't say anything about it. Peter had returned halfway through the meal, and when the others asked where he had gone, he answered that he had been at the library working on his essay for professor Sprout, earning him a glare from Harry which he ignored as well.  
  
"So, Harry, how did your lessons with your godfather go?" asked James soon after Peter arrived  
  
"It went great, I can now change into my animagus form with no problem" he said as he dished himself more food  
  
"Congratulations, what animal are you?" asked Peter  
  
"A raven" answered Harry promptly, missing the looks the others all shared  
  
"Well, you'll have to show us tonight, if you don't mind" said Peter and Harry looked at him levelly before shrugging his shoulders  
  
"Sure" he replied "But only if I get to see your forms as well" he added  
  
"Fair is fair" said James with a smile "Meet us in the hallway outside the Gryffindor tower at nine tonight"  
  
"Ok" answered Harry as they all stood to leave the great hall "I'll be there"  
  
"Great!" said James enthusiastically "See you then" he called over his shoulder as he followed the other marauders out of the hall, leaving Harry to walk up toward the staff table to meet Sirius.  
  
"Hey Harry" greeted the man kindly "How was your dinner?" he asked  
  
"Fine, I'm going to meet the marauders at nine tonight, is that all right?" he asked  
  
"It's fine with me, but the headmaster wants to see both of us at ten, so don't be late" he replied as they made their way down the halls  
  
"What does he want to see us for?" asked Harry in concern  
  
"I'm not sure, why do you ask?" answered Sirius  
  
"Well, I'm not sure but this afternoon, in the forest, while I was in my Griffin form I felt as though someone were watching" he answered quietly  
  
"What? You think we were being watched?" asked Sirius just as quietly  
  
"Like I said, I'm not positive, it was just a feeling, I couldn't see anything" said Harry with a shrug of his shoulders "It was probably nothing, I was more than likely just paranoid"  
  
"Well, keep an eye out for anything suspicious though, just in case" answered Sirius as warning  
  
By now they had arrived in their rooms and Harry sat in front of the fire to do his homework while Sirius pulled a book from the bookshelf to pass the time. They sat in silence for the two hours before Harry got up and grabbed his staff as he left to meet the marauders, calling a good bye to Sirius over his shoulder and promising to meet him at the headmasters' office at ten. He made it to the hallway quickly and was surprised to find it completely empty.  
  
"Hello?" he called hesitantly even though he was a couple minutes early, knowing his father had an invisibility cloak, but he was met with silence, but only for a moment before he heard someone behind him whisper 'stupefy' and before he could turn or block the spell, he felt it hit him squarely in the back and he fell to the floor, blackness overtaking him.  
  
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A/N: Hey, thanks for the reviews on the last chapter, and I hope you enjoy this one, it's long! The next one might be up tomorrow, but I'm not sure, I am moving out of my apartment, so it might not be up till Wed or Thurs. Let me know what you think of this one! 


	43. Visions and Threats

Chapter 43  
  
It was just after nine that night when James, Sirius, Peter, Remus, and Lily had just left the library and were making their way toward the common room to meet Harry. They had decided to wait in the main hallway adjacent to the one that Gryffindor tower was located on to intercept him so they could go to their private and hidden meeting place, but they had yet to see the black haired boy.  
  
"Are you sure he said he would be here?" asked Sirius as he paced up and down the hallway  
  
"Yeah, he said he would, I wonder what's keeping him?" James asked as he checked his watch "He's fifteen minutes late, if we wait much longer, Filtch will catch us" he muttered. They had decided not to speak about what they had discovered about Harry and his godfather to anyone, and they hadn't even had an opportunity to speak about it amongst themselves since they had left the forest that afternoon.  
  
"Well, I say we give him five more minutes and they give up" said Peter from his place on the floor  
  
"Sounds good to me" said Lily "It's freezing out here"  
  
The next five minutes passed in silence, and James was the next to speak "Oh well, it looks like he's not going to show, lets get back before we get caught" he said as he reached down and helped Lily to her feet.  
  
They walked down the hallway as quietly as possible, Sirius in the lead, followed by Peter, Remus, Lily, and James brought up the rear in a single file line so they could keep a better eye out for professors. About halfway down the hall though, Lilly's bag, which was over her shoulder, gave way and all of her books fell to the ground, scattering parchment throughout the hallway and smashing bottles of ink.  
  
"Great" she muttered as she fell to the floor and began to gather up her spilt belongings, James kneeling beside her and the other marauders who had all turned to see what the problem was returned to her side to help as well.  
  
"Here you go Lily" said Sirius as he reached for a half completed essay that had drifted over next to a suit of armor that was hidden inside of a large alcove in the wall "Bloody hell!" he exclaimed as he jumped to his feet and looked to the others. When he had reached for the parchment, he had caught sight of a very familiar red cloak behind the suit of armor.  
  
"What is it Sirius?" asked James as Sirius hurried forward and tried hopelessly to pull the suite of armor back to reveal what he had seen.  
  
"Quick, help me move this!" Sirius exclaimed and without asking any questions, James and Remus were at his side helping him to pull the suite of armor out of the alcove and when they had moved it back enough, James saw what had scarred Sirius so much and gave a startled gasp of surprise.  
  
It was Harry.  
  
He was lying perfectly still against the wall, shoved into the corner as though he had been put there for a reason. If Sirius had not reached for the piece of parchment, they would never have seen his crumpled form.  
  
"What happened to him?" James asked as he knelt beside the unmoving form, Lily's broken bag forgotten on the floor behind them  
  
"He's breathing, I think someone stunned him" said Sirius as he pulled the cowl of the cloak down from Harry's face  
  
"Why would someone stun him?" asked Lily in concern  
  
"Apparently we're not the only ones who thought there was something strange about him" said Remus quietly "Look, whoever it was cut some of his hair" he said as he pointed to a section of hair that had been sheared off just above the shoulder  
  
"Why would they cut his hair though?" asked James in a bewildered tone  
  
"There are many potions that require it, like polyjuice" said Lily with a shudder  
  
"Well, we should wake him up, don't you think?" asked Sirius, not wanting to think about the reasons Harry had been attacked  
  
"Yeah" said James as he pulled out his wand and pointed it at the boy "Ennervate" he said loudly, but his spell was deflected by a barrier of blue light that surrounded Harry as soon as the magic hit it and disappeared directly afterward  
  
"What in the hell was that?" asked Remus in stunned surprise  
  
"I don't know" muttered James as he looked first to his wand in confusion and then to Harry who was still stunned on the floor in front of them "Maybe we should get Joseph, or Sirius, or whoever he is" he suggested  
  
"That might be a good idea" agreed Remus "I'll go, Padfoot, why don't you come with me" he said as he stood and Sirius nodded and the pair set off down the hall at a jog  
  
It only took a couple minutes to reach the staff quarters and they knocked frantically on the door Harry had brought them to a couple nights prior. Almost immediately, the painting was flung open to reveal a very anxious looking Sirius Black.  
  
"What's wrong?" he demanded as he looked between Remus and his younger self  
  
"It's Harry, we found him in the hallway, we think someone stunned him and we can't wake him up" said Remus breathlessly  
  
"Oh God, where is he?" he asked as set off down the hall at a run, the two students barley able to keep up with him  
  
"In the hallway outside of Gryffindor tower" said the younger Sirius  
  
The trio ran flat out all the way to the hallway, and when the arrived, James, Lily, and Peter looked to the older man anxiously  
  
"Harry" he said softly as he knelt on the floor beside his godson, James and Lily backing away instantly to give him room "Who did this?" he demanded, never taking his eyes from his godson  
  
"We don't know, we just found him" answered James "We tried to use ennervate, but it didn't work, some sort of shield deflected it" he explained and the older Sirius nodded his head and without another word, he gently gathered the unconscious body in his arms and stood "You can come down to our rooms until he wakes up if you would like" he said and the others all followed silently.  
  
When they reached the room, Sirius laid Harry down on the couch and conjured chairs for the others to sit in "You can stay here, but I'm warning you, when he wakes up, don't say anything and don't approach him until I say it is ok" he said sternly  
  
They sat in silence for nearly an hour, Harry giving no signs of awaking before there was a knock at the door. James opened it to reveal a worried looking headmaster. He took in the sight quickly "Joseph, what happened, when you didn't show up for our meeting I got concerned" he said quietly as he approached the man and boy  
  
"Harry was attacked in the halls, I'm waiting for him to wake up" he said without looking at the old man  
  
"Why don't you just use ennervate?" he asked curiously as he approached the side of the couch, and Sirius leaned back and began speaking.  
  
"Harry has a gift, or a curse in instances like this" he began as he looked fondly at the boy and gently stroked his forehead, pausing to look at his scar "When he is unable to defend himself from magic for any reason, his powers put up a kind of barrier around him that won't allow any magic, weather it be good or bad, through it" he said the last part with grief in his voice  
  
"How long has Harry had this gift?" asked Dumbledore curiously  
  
"Since sometime during the last couple months of last term, we found it when he was injured and we couldn't heal him, it even protects him from potions" he said with a harsh laugh "Needless to say, lately it has done more harm than good, the only time it has ever dropped was when he was very close to death already" he said with a sigh "Because of this, we have to wait for him to come out of the stunning spell on his own, but it probably won't be a very pleasant experience for him" he warned  
  
"I understand, this can be a curse at certain times, but it can also protect him if he ever got into trouble" said the headmaster, but before he could say more, he was interrupted by a shuffling of fabric from the couch.  
  
Just then, Harry moaned softly and he began to flex his muscles, tightening his fists into white knuckled balls "I would recommend you back up sir" said Sirius in a stern voice as he too backed away from his godson to join the others at the other side of the room, the headmaster following his lead, but with a look of bewilderment on his face.  
  
Without warning, Harry sat up with his back straight and looked frantically around the room, his face pale and his hands shaking terribly. An owl hooted from somewhere outside and Harry threw up his hand toward the window and it shattered instantly. He looked around the room again, his eyes wide and terrified like a cornered animal until they fell on the form of his godfather where they stayed, but they were still filled with a deep fear.  
  
Sirius hesitantly took a step forward "Harry" he said quietly and the boy's eyes lost some of their terror "Harry, listen to me, you're safe, no one is going to hurt you" he said as he continued to walk toward the couch, and by the time he reached it, Harry no longer looked like a cornered animal, but more like the frightened and confused seventeen year old boy that he was.  
  
"Oh, God" said Harry as he launched himself into his godfathers arms, seeking reassurance and comfort to overcome his demons  
  
"Shh, everything is fine now Harry, relax" said Sirius quietly and after several minutes, Harry's tense muscles relaxed and he opened his eyes and blushed when he saw they weren't alone in the room and immediately released his godfather with a sheepish smile. Sirius sat back down in the chair next to the couch and Harry fell back into his previous position within the cushions "Harry, what happened?" asked Sirius quietly  
  
"I'm not sure, I was waiting in the hallway for the others and I heard someone behind me say the stunning spell" he said  
  
"Did you recognize the voice?" asked Sirius  
  
"I don't think so, it was familiar, but I couldn't place it" he answered "What did he do?" he asked in worry  
  
"Well, all I can tell is that he cut some of your hair off, but we don't know why" said Sirius with a chuckle "It was past due for you to get it cut anyway"  
  
"Very funny" mumbled Harry as he fingered the section of hair that was shorter than the rest "Well, Ginny and Hermione should be happy, they were trying to make me cut it before I even went to the Dursley's" he said with a sly smile before another thought came to mind.  
  
"Did you get my staff?" asked Harry and Sirius looked in shock to the marauders and Lily  
  
"Did you guys find his staff?" he asked anxiously  
  
"No, it wasn't there when we found him" said the younger Sirius  
  
"What!" yelled Harry as he jumped to his feet suddenly and starred at the other occupants of the room "It wasn't there!?"  
  
"No, we didn't see it anywhere in the hallway" answered James cautiously, afraid he would be hexed upon Harry hearing his words  
  
"We have to find it!" said Harry frantically as he looked to his godfather "If the wrong person got a hold of it, I don't even want to think about what would happen" he said desperately as he looked between Sirius and Dumbledore  
  
"Harry, calm down" said Sirius gently "We'll find it, it can't have gotten far" he reassured "Headmaster, could you please help me organize a search for the staff, Harry is right, if the wrong person got their hands on it, it would be bad"  
  
"Certainly, Joseph, we'll find it Harry, you just get some rest" he said as he left the room with a small smile  
  
"Harry, relax, we'll find your staff" said Sirius again "Guys, maybe you should get back to the tower, check and see if anyone there saw anything unusual" he suggested and the marauders and Lily nodded silently before leaving the room as well.  
  
"Sirius, we have to find that staff" said Harry in a more desperate voice "If Voldemort gets it I don't even want to think about what he would do"  
  
"It's all right Harry, well find it, but right now you need to get some rest" he said "Go on to your room, I'm going to help Albus. I'll wake you as soon as we find anything" he reassured.  
  
Harry obediently went to his room, and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow without even changing from his robes, but unfortunately, his dreams were far from peaceful.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
He was standing in a familiar looking room with a red chair and a roaring fire, and as he approached the chair, it turned to reveal Voldemort's skull like face and blood red eyes which Harry hadn't seen in over a year, since the day he attacked Hogwarts. Harry jumped back before he remembered this was just a dream and stood still to listen. There was a knock at the door before it swung opened to reveal two death eaters, both masked from his view.  
  
"My Lord" they both said quietly as they bowed and kissed the hem of his black robes  
  
"Rise" said the cold voice of Voldemort "What do you have to report?"  
  
The smaller of the two began speaking and Harry recognized the voice, but he didn't know from where "My Lord, I have been watching the boy and he is very powerful, he is able to speak to phoenixes" he began "I stayed behind after we collected what was needed from him to see what occurred. His friends found him in the hallway and they were unable to awaken him using ennervate, so they went for his godfather who took him to his quarters. I wasn't able to hear what they said, but when they tried the spell, it was deflected somehow" he said with his head bowed  
  
"Find out more about him, Severus, and what other powers he possesses, or you will regret it" said Voldemort before he turned to the other death eater.  
  
'Severus Snape?' thought Harry as he looked at the smaller of the two men 'Dumbledore did say that he was a loyal death eater for sometime before he turned spy, but I didn't think he started while he was still at school' he thought, but his attention was drawn back to Voldemort who was speaking again  
  
"What do you have to report?" he asked of the taller man  
  
"My Lord, I succeeded in taking the required sample from him, and I brought you a token I thought you may find useful" he said as he rose and walked toward Voldemort, handing him a knot of black hair "With this, you will be able to use the polyjuice potion and get onto the castle grounds" he said  
  
"Very good, you will be rewarded for your service" said Voldemort as he took the hair from the others hand "What is the item you spoke of?"  
  
The death eater walked to the door and picked up something form the floor before returning to the room, holding an object covered in black velvet which he presented to Voldemort on a bended knee "My Lord, I thought you would find this useful" he said  
  
Voldemort stood and took the object form his servants hand before he sat back down and untied the covering around it to reveal a hint of gold and wood "Where did you get this from?" he asked without taking his eyes from the thing in his hands  
  
"My Lord, the boy had it when I stunned him" answered the other man  
  
"I am pleased with your efforts, this is a very powerful magical object, you will be rewarded. Now, both of you, leave me" he said tersely as both obediently backed from the room. After they had left, Voldemort got to his feet and the black cloth fell to the floor, and Harry sucked in a breath of air, Voldemort was holding his staff in his white, skeletal hand.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Harry awoke with a start and sat up straight in his bed, his hand clutched tightly to his forehead.  
  
"Bloody hell" he moaned as he closed his eyes against the pain and lay back down, oblivious to the fact that he was being watched by a figure in the corner of the room.  
  
"Harry, what is it?" asked a voice from the shadows and Harry sat up again  
  
"Sirius, what are you doing here?" he asked the older man who was walking over to the bed, but he didn't answer until he sat down next to Harry  
  
"First, tell me what's wrong" demanded Sirius as he looked to Harry's hand which was still clamped over his forehead  
  
"Voldemort" said Harry, and Sirius' brow furrowed in concern  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked  
  
"I was dreaming about Voldemort, and I woke up and my scar was throbbing" said Harry, who was thinking hard to try and remember the dream, and suddenly it came to him "Sirius! Voldemort has my staff!" he exclaimed as he sat up straighter and looked at Sirius' face which had gone suddenly pale.  
  
"I was worried about that" he said eventually "We looked all over the castle, and didn't find anything and none of the paintings or ghosts saw anything either" he said as he massaged his temples  
  
"What are we going to do Sirius?" asked Harry in concern "If he figures out how to use the staff, things could defiantly get much worse than they already are"  
  
"Well just have to keep our eyes out and try to find a way to get it back, or find out who took it at least" answered Sirius  
  
"There were two people with Voldemort in my dream, I don't know who the one who gave him the staff was, but the other was Snape" said Harry and he heard Sirius curse under his breath "But they said something about being able to use my hair for the polyjuice potion so they could get onto the grounds. Will the wards keep them out?" he asked in concern  
  
"I'm not sure Harry, but don't worry about it just yet" reassured Sirius  
  
"We have to find that staff Sirius" said Harry with conviction  
  
"I know Harry, we will" said Sirius "Now, has your scar stopped hurting?" he asked  
  
"Nearly, has Terres come back yet?"  
  
"Don't change the subject Harry, let me see your scar" demanded the older man  
  
Harry grudgingly obeyed and pulled his hand away from his forehead to let him see it.  
  
"Good God, Harry!" he exclaimed as he gently brushed his hair from the offending scar "When was the last time it started bleeding like this?" he asked  
  
"That day in defense" replied Harry "Don't worry about it, Sirius, it doesn't hurt anymore" he said as he tried to back away from Sirius  
  
"Sit still, Harry, and let me close it up" said Sirius as he held Harry still with a firm hand on his shoulder. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at Harry's head and muttered a spell under his breath and an instant later, the scar had stopped bleeding and just looked raw and red. "There, now that wasn't too bad, was it?" asked Sirius  
  
"Thanks, now will you tell me where Terres is, and Sherlock?" asked Harry  
  
"Sherlock is in the living room in front of the fire and I haven't seen Terres since she went out to hunt before you left tonight" he replied, but he was interrupted by a gentle knock at the door and the headmaster sticking his head in  
  
"Ah, Harry, I'm glad to see you awake" he said with a kind smile "How are you feeling?" he asked  
  
"Fine sir" replied Harry  
  
"That is good, but I'm afraid I have some bad news for you about your staff, but I don't doubt that Joseph has already told you that we couldn't find it" he said wearily  
  
"I know sir, Voldemort has it" replied Harry softly and the old man looked at him with a start upon hearing the name  
  
"Are you sure?" he asked  
  
"Yes, sir, I often have dreams about him, I see what he is doing and one of his death eaters presented him with my staff a couple of minutes ago" he said quietly  
  
"What do you mean Harry, how can you see these things?" asked the headmaster speculatively  
  
"I have a kind of a connection with him, but I would rather not speak of it right now, but I know he has the staff and we need to find a way to get it back before he learns how to use it" said Harry in a level tone, eyeing the headmaster  
  
"Very well, Harry, I believe you. I will see what we can do to retrieve it, but I must warn you, it will not be easy" he said  
  
"Thank you sir" replied Harry with a small smile as the man left the room  
  
"Why don't you change out of those cloths and into some proper pajamas before you go back to sleep?" suggested Sirius and Harry realized how uncomfortable he was from sleeping in his everyday clothing and robes, including shoes.  
  
"Good idea" he said as he got to his feet and knelt next to his trunk, withdrawing the needed cloths and walking into the bathroom, not bothering to light the torches in the room. Quickly removing his cloak, he draped it across the sink, thinking fondly of Ginny as he brushed his fingers over the golden phoenix clasp. He tiredly reached into the pockets of his robes to make sure there was nothing important in them before they were taken by the house elves to be washed, and his fingers brushed across a crumpled piece of parchment. Curious, he withdrew the parchment and surveyed it with his tired eyes.  
  
'What is this?' he thought as he looked at it 'I don't remember putting anything in my pockets'  
  
He cautiously unfolded the parchment and saw that it was a letter written in a hand he didn't recognize, but he was unable to read it in the dim light. With a wave of his hand, the bathroom was bathed in flickering firelight and he was able to read the words, and that he saw made his hands shake and his breaths come in quick gasps. In shock, he fell hard to his knees with the letter still clutched in his hands. Sirius heard him hit the floor and came running into the room and looked at him with worry in his eyes.  
  
"Harry, what is it?" he asked as he knelt beside him on the floor for the second time that night  
  
Without saying a word, Harry handed him the parchment and he read it with apprehension, his face going just a pale as Harry's when he read the words.  
  
"Oh my" he muttered quietly "Harry, where did you get this from?" he asked  
  
"I.It.it was in my pocket" he stuttered out "What if they do it Sirius?" he asked  
  
"Harry, come back to the bedroom" said Sirius as he helped Harry to his feet and led him over to his bed where he collapsed onto the mattress "Harry, we won't let them get onto the grounds, don't worry. You helped me set up the wards, you know as well as I do that the castle and the village are safe against them" he said in a reassuring voice  
  
"I know, but what if they still get through, Voldemort has my staff, he could bring the wards down" said Harry in a worried voice  
  
"Don't worry about what if's, Harry, if something happens, then we will deal with it, until then, don't worry about it, this is just an empty threat. Why don't you go back to sleep" said Sirius as he stood up from the bed "The next couple of days are going to be pretty rough"  
  
"All right, see you in the morning" said Harry, relenting to his godfathers reasoning as he lay back down, suddenly tired again  
  
"Night Harry" whispered Sirius as he pulled the door closed, but the boy was already asleep, leaving the letter beside Harry on the nightstand, available for any eyes to see.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
Our master thanks you for your gifts, he will defiantly find uses for both of them. Thanks to you, he will be even more powerful and he now has the means to get onto the grounds. Without your generous contributions, he would have never been able to take the castle, but now it is only a matter of time until he does. We found it quite surprising to stumble across the secret you were hiding, though, we would have never thought it possible for a death eater to be working so closely with a member of the ministry of magic, or to be allowed to set up protections around Hogwarts for Albus Dumbledore. The old man must be losing his touch to unknowingly hire a supporter of the dark lord. We wish to know your true identity, you bear the mark of our lord, but yet we do not recognize your name of face. You must certainly be a very powerful dark wizard though, for your mark shines the darkest black even when you are so far from the master. You are most certainly one of his most loyal servants. Again, thank you for your generous contributions to the cause, and we will undoubtedly meet again when the castle falls.  
  
Until then, my brother in the army of the Dark Lord Voldemort  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
While Harry was sleeping, Ginny was sitting in the Gryffindor common room with her brother, Draco, and Hermione, none of them able to fall asleep after the news they had received that morning at breakfast. Apparently, the death eaters who had never been apprehended were beginning to search for their master, but despite the best efforts of the ministry, none of them could be found, leaving behind only lifeless victims and the dark mark hovering in the sky.  
  
"Where do you think they are?" asked Hermione finally  
  
"Who knows" muttered Draco "Nobody has been able to find a trace of any of them or where they are hiding"  
  
"Do you think they'll be able to find him?" asked Ginny in a worried voice as she looked into the fire  
  
"I don't think so, Ginny" reassured Ron "Dumbledore said he and Sirius were safe wherever he sent them to"  
  
"Don't worry about Harry, Ginny, he can take care of himself" said Draco with a grin. Earlier that day, Dumbledore and Remus had informed him about Harry's current problem, Voldemort inhabiting his body, and though the idea scarred him, he was positive that if anyone could fight this, Harry could.  
  
"I know, but I just keep thinking about the last time I saw him" she said heavily "What if something happens to him and I never get the chance to tell him that I'm sorry. What if he still hates me?" she asked as tears fell down her face  
  
"Gin, you know that he still loves you, Harry would never hate you, and you will see him again in just another couple months. Didn't Dumbledore say he would be back in time for the welcoming feast next term?" asked Hermione  
  
"Yes" answered Ginny  
  
"Well, summer break starts in two weeks and after that it's only two and a half months until you'll see him" she said reassuringly "You made it through three months not even knowing if he was alive, and now you know he is alive and safe, you just have to wait for him to come back"  
  
"I know, but what am I supposed to say to him? He probably still thinks I cheated on him, how can I tell him what happened was nothing?" she asked  
  
"Just tell him the truth Ginny, he'll believe you" said Ron  
  
"Thanks guys" said Ginny with a smile "So, where do you think he is?" she asked.  
  
This was a conversation they had been having on a continuous basis for the past several weeks, but no matter what they came up with, they could never figure out any place that sounded promising.  
  
"I bet they're hiding out as Sirius' manor" said Ron  
  
"Who knows" said Ginny with a shrug of her shoulders "But I feel better now that he is receiving our letters" she said with a smile  
  
They had been sending Hedwig with letters nearly every day now, and she would always be back at the castle by breakfast the next morning, meaning that wherever Harry was, he couldn't be far away, but they still received no responses to their mail, much to their depression.  
  
"Yeah, that is one good thing" agreed Hermione "Sorry guys, but I'm exhausted, I'm going to go to bed" she said as she got to her feet, dragging Ron up by his hand.  
  
"Yeah, me too" agreed Draco "Are we meeting in the library to study tomorrow?" he asked the head girl and her boyfriend  
  
"Defiantly, we don't have much time until the NEWTS" said Hermione "Do you want to meet us there at ten?" she asked  
  
"Sounds good, see you then" said the Slytherin as he left the common room to go to the dungeons  
  
"Are you going up too, Gin?" asked Hermione  
  
"In a few minutes" she said with a smile as she watched her older brother wrap his arms around his girlfriend to say goodnight. She politely turned her attention back to the fire to give the two seventh years some privacy, and several minutes later heard them both go to their respective dormitories.  
  
She sat before the fire for a long time, thinking about Harry and where he could be, and before she knew it, it was nearly two in the morning and she tiredly got to her feet and went to her dorm, silently saying a prayer for Harry to be safe and return home soon.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N: Next chapter is here! Let me know what you think, I know it might be a little confusing, so if you have questions, leave them in a review. The next chapter should be up by Thursday or Friday. Please review and let me know how this one was! 


	44. Found Out and Visions of the Future

Chapter 44  
  
The next morning, James, Sirius, Remus and Lily all left the common room early in hopes of being able to go and check on Harry before breakfast. When they reached the portrait guarding the room that Harry and his godfather were staying in, they knocked loudly on the frame, but no one answered them.  
  
"We'll maybe they're already in the great hall" suggested Lily  
  
"I don't think so, it's still early, breakfast doesn't start for another thirty minutes" said James as he looked at his watch  
  
"Well, we know the password, why don't we just go in and see if he's here" suggested Sirius  
  
"But what if his godfather catches us? I'm not sure that he would be to pleased to find four students in his quarters at 7:30 in the morning" said lily worriedly  
  
"Lily, have you forgotten that Harry's godfather is just an older Padfoot, how much trouble do you really think we'd be in if he caught us?" asked James "Sirius is the king of causing trouble" he added with a smile  
  
"I guess you're right, but if we get caught, it was all your idea" said Lily  
  
"Fine, witchazel" said James and the portrait swung open soundlessly and the four Gryffindors crept into the living room. The fire was already lit and the entire room was bright and warm. The room on the right was standing with the door wide open, revealing an already made bed, and they couldn't see anyone moving around.  
  
"I guess his godfather already left for the morning" said James quietly  
  
They made their way cautiously to the room on the right and knocked lightly on the door. When no answer came, James pushed the door open and they walked in.  
  
"He's still asleep, should we wake him up?" whispered Remus when they caught sight of the figure burrowed deep into the blankets and breathing deeply in a sound sleep.  
  
"I don't know, maybe we should just let him sleep and talk to him at breakfast" suggested Lily  
  
"Why don't we just wait here until he wakes up? It shouldn't be too long, he does have classes this morning" said James as he went to sit down in the chair next to the nightstand, but just as he sat, his arm bumped a letter sitting on the top of the stand, knocking it to the floor. "What's this?" he asked himself as he leaned over to pick the letter up off the floor and return it to the nightstand, but before he could do so, his eyes caught sight of the last line of the letter and he inhaled sharply.  
  
"What's wrong, Prongs?" asked Sirius, but James didn't answer, instead, he read the entire letter, his eyes growing wider with each word. "James, what does it say?" asked Sirius again and James wordlessly handed him the letter. "I don't believe it" he said quietly once he had finished reading it for himself before he turned to the curious looking Lily and Remus "He's a death eater" he told them quietly  
  
"What?" demanded Lily in a harsh whisper  
  
"This letter, it's from another death eater to Harry, it talks about his dark mark and their master and calls a brother and fellow supporter of you- know-who" he said as Remus ripped the parchment from his hands  
  
"So his godfather doesn't even know he's a death eater, does he? And neither does Dumbledore" he said as he too finished the letter  
  
"I don't believe it, how could he be a death eater? It just doesn't make sense, he's not evil" said James quietly, finally pulling himself out of his previous shock "Not to mention that he's our son, Lily's and mine, how could he have become a supporter of you-know-who?" he asked no one in particular  
  
"I agree with James, maybe we should just ask him when he wakes up" suggested Lily  
  
"Me too, I mean, if he was raised by Sirius, then he can't be evil" said Remus  
  
"All right then, lets ask him when he wakes up" said Sirius as they too found seats in the small room. They sat in silence for twenty minutes before Harry began to stir.  
  
When Harry woke up again, all he wanted to do was go back to sleep, sleep was warm and free of worries, as long as he wasn't having any nightmares that is. His head was pounding and it took him a minute to remember the events of the day before, and as soon as he did, he wished he could forget. He kept his eyes closed and burrowed further down into the blankets, hoping that by doing so, he could return to his peaceful dreams, but then he got the feeling that he was being watched and he cautiously opened his eyes only to find that the entire room was blurry. Out of instinct, he reached over to his nightstand to grab his glasses only to find that they weren't there. Groaning and preferring not to have to search blindly through his room, he held out his hand and silently summoned his black framed glasses. He heard the distinctive click and thump of his trunk opening and several things shuffling around before his glasses landed in his outstretched hand. He tiredly placed them onto his face and the dim room came into sharp focus and looking to the trunk that was still standing opened beside his wardrobe, he summoned clean clothes before waving his hand to shut and lock the trunk again. It was then that he remembered the feeling of being watched when he woke up, and so he quickly directed his gaze to the doorway, expecting to see Sirius standing there, but instead, he was met with the astonished gazes of three of the marauders and Lily. Groaning again, he buried his throbbing head in his hands before falling back into the bed, hoping that he had imagined seeing them in his room.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he finally asked as he sat back up to look at them accusingly  
  
"We came to make sure you were ok" answered Lily quietly  
  
"How much did you see?" asked Harry, speaking not only about the wandless magic, but about the letter that was in Remus' hand which he immediately recognized as the one he had found in his pocket last night  
  
They all looked to each other uncomfortably and shuffled their feet before Remus got the courage to speak "What did they mean, Harry?" he finally asked and everyone present knew what he was talking about  
  
"Which part?" asked Harry, resigned to the truth that he would have to explain a few things to them  
  
Again they all looked at each other before Sirius spoke up "Are you a death eater?" he demanded harshly  
  
Harry looked at him levelly before answering "No", short, simple and to the point, but none of them looked convinced  
  
"Then what was that letter talking about!? It said that you must be one of the most loyal death eaters because your mark is always black! How do you explain that if you're not a death eater!?" said Sirius, yelling loudly now in an attempt to frighten Harry, but Harry was used to his outbursts from being with the older Sirius so long now and merely ignored the tone and answered in a calm voice.  
  
"I am not a death eater, I have never been one, but yes, I do have the dark mark" he said as he met the gazes of all present  
  
"WHAT!" yelled James and Lily together  
  
"You heard me, I have the dark mark but I did not take it on willingly, Voldemort forced it onto me in an attempt to destroy me and the wizarding world, but he wasn't successful" he said with a smirk  
  
"But that letter said that you must be loyal because your mark is black" said Remus  
  
"Yes, my mark is always black, but it isn't because I am loyal to Voldemort, it's because we have a connection to each other" said Harry, using this excuse instead of the full truth "Remember when I told you that I got the ability to speak to snakes from a dark curse that backfired?" he asked and they all hesitantly nodded their heads "Well, Voldemort is the one who cast the curse, and because it wasn't successful, I got some of his abilities and became connected to him" he explained  
  
"What do you mean you're connected to him?" asked James after he had regained his composure  
  
"I see the things he does in my dreams and when he is near by, my scar starts to hurt" he said as he indicated to the thin lightning bolt scar on his forehead that they had all just over looked until now because of the more obvious ones on his face  
  
"So, you're not a death eater?" asked Sirius again, apparently looking for conformation  
  
"No" said Harry with a grim smile  
  
"If you don't mind my asking, Harry, what curse was powerful enough to give you such a strong connection to you-know-who and some of his powers?" asked Remus, but it was not Harry who answered, instead, a voice from the door spoke up  
  
"It was avadra kedavra" and they all turned shocked to see the older Sirius standing in the doorway, a grim expression on his face "I think you had all better get to breakfast, I need to speak to Harry" he said as he looked sternly at his godson  
  
After several hurried goodbye's, the four students left the room in a hurry for the great hall.  
  
"What is it, Sirius?" asked Harry in concern  
  
"We have a problem, Harry" he began "I think they know the truth, I went out early this morning to check the wards around the castle and as I went through the clearing we were in yesterday, I stumbled across this" he said as he held up a very familiar invisibility cloak  
  
Harry could only look to the cloak in shock as his throbbing head tried in vain to remember what they had talked about in the clearing. "How much do you think they know?" he finally asked  
  
"I'm not sure, but I'm certain that they used the map to find us which means that they know who we really are, and that we're obviously from the future" said Sirius wearily, "And they probably have made the connection that James and Lily were your parents and you already told them that your parents died when you were a baby, but other than that, I don't think that we said anything else that they could figure out the meaning to, but they now have an idea about what kind of powers you have, and that I was sent to Azkaban and that you have faced Voldemort before" he said heavily  
  
"Great, just what we need, something else to complicate this entire thing, we can't just fail a mission, we have to fail it big" said Harry  
  
"I know what you mean, but we need to figure out what to do" said Sirius  
  
"Well, should we tell them the entire truth, or should we just tell them not to mention any of this to anyone and cast a memory charm before we leave, or should we cast a memory charm now?" asked Harry, trying to think of all of their options  
  
"I think a memory charm in defiantly going to be needed, but maybe we should wait until we leave, they may be able to help us" said Sirius  
  
"How?" asked Harry doubtfully  
  
"We don't need to tell them the entire truth, but maybe if we told them that we were looking for a certain girl with above average abilities, they could help keep an eye out for her" suggested Sirius  
  
"Sounds good, but what will we tell them when they start to ask questions?" asked Harry in worry  
  
"We'll just have to think of some believable lies" he answered with a shrug of his shoulders  
  
"Kind of like the believable lie you just told them" accused Harry "How am I going to answer to that?"  
  
"Don't, just say that it is too hard for you to talk about and hopefully they leave it alone, but we need to make sure they won't tell anyone else about what they know, especially Peter. I don't know when he turned to the death eaters, so we need to be careful, I'll cast a memory charm on him next time I see him, but until then, you need to be careful."  
  
"I will" reassured Harry "Is the Hogesmede trip still on for next weekend?" he asked  
  
"As far as I know, why?"  
  
"Because I was planning on going with them, and I have a feeling something is going to happen" he said with a shrug  
  
"Why do you have your glasses on?" asked Sirius suddenly  
  
"Oh, well, I have to recast the spell every morning, but I don't trust myself to do complicated healing spells without my staff, so I'm stuck with these until I get it back from Voldemort" he said  
  
"Oh" was all Sirius said in reply "Well, you had better get dressed for breakfast, bring Lily, James, Remus, and the younger me down here after classes today so we can talk to them" he said as he walked from the room and Harry crawled from the bed, wishing the entire time he had never woken up that morning. He dressed quickly and hurried to the great hall, taking a seat between James and Sirius like always.  
  
"Is everything ok?" asked James in concern  
  
"Yeah, but Joseph wants to speak to all of us tonight after classes" Harry said "Where's Peter, I haven't seen him all morning?" he asked as he looked up and down the table  
  
"Who knows, probably with his new girlfriend from Hufflepuff, we haven't seem him either" said Remus before leaning across the table to whisper a question to Harry "How long have you been able to do wandless magic?" he asked quietly and James, Lily, and Sirius all looked to him to, awaiting his answer  
  
"Oh, well, I can only do very basic and simple spells, but I've only been able to do those for about a year now" said Harry  
  
"Oh, you can't do anything difficult then without a wand?" asked James  
  
"Not really, all I can really do are summoning spells and a few others, like levitation, but doing them tires me out pretty quickly" he lied smoothly, wanting to keep the extent of his abilities to himself and not wanting them to know that he could do almost every spell without a wand and without becoming tired, except of course healing spells, but he figured he could even do those if he tried, but he was too uncertain of his abilities to find out.  
  
"Oh" said Sirius in disappointment "So, how are you going to do lessons, do you have a wand?" he asked  
  
"No, my wand disappeared when I received my staff from Terres, so I guess I'll just tell the teachers what happened and that I can't do practical lessons until I get my staff back" he answered  
  
"They didn't find it last night then?" asked Remus  
  
"No, Voldemort has it now" said Harry and that caused them all to look to one another in shock  
  
"How do you know?" asked Sirius in a harsh whisper  
  
"I told you I see what he does in my dreams, and last night one of his death eaters presented it to him" answered Harry in a quiet voice so as not to be overheard  
  
"So you mean that there were death eaters in the castle last night and that was who attacked you?" asked James, not really believing it  
  
"Yes, there are always death eaters here, Voldemort starts recruiting his followers while there still in school" said Harry  
  
"Oh" muttered Remus, not wanting to know that he was probably taking classes with followers of you-know-who "Do you know who it was?" he finally asked  
  
"No, his voice sounded familiar, but I didn't see his face in my dream" answered Harry, deciding to leave Snape out of the discussion  
  
"How are you going to get your staff back from you-know-who?" asked James  
  
"Well, he's planning on attacking the village, so when he does, I'll take it back" said Harry and the others all shared looks that they thought he was insane before dropping the subject and instead talking about their lessons for the day. Their first lesson of the day was transfiguration, which for Harry, passed far too slowly since they spent an entire hour talking about animagus transformations. For the last hour of the class, though, the professor made her way through the students, one at a time calling them to the front of the classroom and casting a spell upon them that would transform them into their animagus form to the rest of the students for about two minutes. Harry watched eagerly as the spell was cast upon his parents and he saw that his mother transformed into a bright red fox, and for the first time, he saw the closest thing possible to a living patronus, the living and breathing Prongs stood in front of the classroom. When his name was called, he calmly walked to the front of the class and Professor McGonagall muttered the spell and he felt himself transforming, but he was surprised when he realized that he didn't transform into his raven form, which he assumed he would since that was the first animal he had ever transformed into. Instead, he felt himself growing into a four legged animal, and instead of talons, he grew paws and after a few minutes, he realized that he had turned into a large cat of some sort. Curious, he looked into the mirror to his side and saw that he was a solid black jaguar. But this animagus transformation was unlike any he had ever experienced before. Until now, all of his forms had had two things in common, they all had his emerald green eyes, and they all had a lightning bolt somewhere on their fur or feathers, and the lack of both of these things worried him tremendously. The animal he was looking at was solid black without a single discolored hair marring its beautiful pelt, and its eyes were not green, but black as well, so dark that you couldn't even tell the pupil from the iris. He stood looking at the creature for several minutes, thinking to himself.  
  
'Where did this come from' he mused  
  
'You should know by now, Potter' said the amused voice of Voldemort, and its sudden appearance caused the jaguar to start, he hadn't heard the voice in his head for a couple of days now  
  
'What are you talking about?' asked Harry warily  
  
'Come now, think about it, you should be able to figure this out with no difficulties boy' said the voice in a thoughtful and mocking tone  
  
'Stop toying with me, Voldemort, if you have something to say, say it or just leave before you weaken yourself further' growled Harry in his mind  
  
'Consider this my gift to you, Potter, to show you just how alike and bound together we are' said Voldemort as the voice faded away  
  
Still not understanding what the evil wizard had been talking about, Harry looked back into the mirror, and as he did so, his eyes flashed from their deep black to bloody scarlet for a moment before he felt himself changing back.  
  
When he was himself again, he glanced back into the mirror and noticed that his face was void of all color and his hands had started shaking and his legs felt as though they would collapse from underneath him if he continued to stand on them, but he was relieved that his eyes were their normal green color again.  
  
"Are you ok, Mr. Pearson?" asked the professor in concern  
  
"Yes, I'm fine, but I'm not feeling well, could I please go to the hospital wing?" he said in a shaky voice  
  
"Certainly, can you make it on your own or do you need someone to escort you?" she asked  
  
"I'll be fine" said Harry as he left the room, grabbing his bag on the way and ignoring the concerned looks he received from his friends  
  
He hurried through the halls on his way to his room, praying Sirius would be there when he arrived, and as he entered the living room, he was pleased to see the ex-convict sitting at the desk writing on a parchment.  
  
"Harry, what are you doing out of class?" asked the man as he got to his feet in concern  
  
Harry didn't respond immediately, instead he walked over to a chair and collapsed, sitting silently for a moment before he summoned a cup of tea.  
  
"Harry, what's wrong?" asked Sirius again and Harry hastily told him about the form he had assumed in transfiguration.  
  
"He said it was a gift from him to show me how similar we are and how much the connection between us has strengthened" he finished heavily "He's starting to get stronger Sirius. He's nowhere near where he was, but it's only a matter of time before he is strong enough to start cursing me again, and he's already got enough control over me to influence what animal I transform into if I'm not thinking about it"  
  
"Well, all I can say is to be sure you think hard while you transform, because if I'm understanding what you told me, this particular form is one he can assume, and he can probably control its actions as well, even if he doesn't have control of you before you change into it" said Sirius "Don't worry, it took him nearly a year before he was strong enough to start cursing you last time, we still have time to find his daughter and finish this once and for all. How are you feeling?" he asked  
  
"Fine, I was just a little shaken up. I had better get to lunch, I have divination this afternoon and would really like to catch a nap if I can, and what better way to do so than on a full stomach" Harry said with a smirk as he finished his tea, and Sirius started laughing.  
  
"I couldn't agree more. I'll see you after dinner, are you bringing the others?"  
  
"Yes, they said they'd come" answered Harry "I'll see you later" he called over his shoulder as he left the room and headed to the great hall again.  
  
"What happened to you earlier, Harry?" asked Remus as he sat at the table for lunch  
  
"Nothing, I just got a little light headed after the transformation" said Harry as he shot them a reassuring smile  
  
"About that, I thought you said your animagus form was a raven, but you changed into a jaguar, why did you lie to us?" asked Sirius, trying to bait Harry into telling them the truth, that he had more than one animagus form.  
  
"Oh, well, um, my animagus form is a raven, at least that's all I have ever managed to change into before, maybe the spell messed up or something" he lied smoothly  
  
"Oh, if you say so" said James, unconvinced  
  
"So, do you guys mind if I join you tomorrow night?" asked Harry with a smirk on his face  
  
The others all looked to each other in shock for a minute, but then Remus found his voice, though he was quite pale while he spoke "What are you talking about?" he asked hesitantly  
  
"Your monthly adventures in the forbidden forest, would you mind if I came along?" asked Harry calmly  
  
"How much do you know about that?" demanded Sirius sharply  
  
"More than you think, but we'll talk about that later. So, can I come along?" he asked again  
  
"You know about Moony?" asked James, ignoring Harry yet again  
  
"Yes, but don't worry, it doesn't bother me at all" he said as he smiled at Remus "So, are you going to answer my question of not?" he asked the others  
  
"Well, I guess if you already know, then I don't mind" said Remus  
  
"Sure, why not?" asked Sirius with a shrug of his shoulders  
  
"Same goes for me. So, what does Joseph want to talk to us about tonight?" James asked, trying to change the subject  
  
"Well, it has come to our attention that you five saw and heard some things yesterday that were better left unknown, and we need to discuss them with you" answered Harry and the marauders all shot worried looks to each other again  
  
"What do you mean, we didn't do anything yesterday, after class we went to the tower and then to the library" said Sirius while he shifted uncomfortably in his chair  
  
"Sure, but let me tell you this, Griffins may not be able to see through invisibility cloaks, which you left in the forest by the way, but they are able to sense the presence of others. I knew we were being watched, but I didn't know by who until Joseph, as you know my godfather, found your cloak in the forest this morning. I knew it was yours because I now have it" Harry answered with a smile and the marauders all looked like five year olds who had just been caught with their hands in a cookie jar.  
  
"Oh" was all James said  
  
"Don't worry about it, we're not mad, but there are a few things we need to discuss and some rules we need to set up, but for now, don't tell anyone else what you saw or heard" said Harry "And that includes Peter, he had a memory charm placed on him this morning, so he doesn't remember anything you saw yesterday" he added  
  
"Why did you erase Peter's memories?" asked James  
  
"We didn't think it was wise to allow him to know what he knew" said Harry "Don't ask why, we had our reasons" he finished  
  
"Ok, but do you promise to answer some questions for us tonight?" asked James  
  
"Some things, yes, but you need to know that we can't tell you everything" said Harry sternly  
  
"Fine, but we'll still ask" said Sirius with a smirk  
  
"I would expect nothing less from the legendary marauders" said Harry with a smile "Come on, we need to get to divination" he said as he got to his feet and grabbed his bag. The others all followed him out of the great hall and up to the tower that their class was held in. The first time Harry had come to this class with the marauders, he had been annoyed to find that Trelawney was already the professor, but thankfully, she ignored him for the most part, in fact, he had yet to receive a single death sentence from her, for which he was grateful. They spent the entire lesson looking into crystal balls, and like every other lesson he had taken with her, Harry saw absolutely nothing, so he folded his arms on his desk and laid his head down to try and alleviate the headache that he had had since he woke up that morning.  
  
He had just put his head down though, when he felt a sharp elbow poke him in the ribs and he glared at James who was sitting next to him "What is it?" he demanded  
  
"Hey, you better wake up, she's coming this way" said James and Harry obediently pretended to be looking at the ball and into the fog inside the glass, and for the first time ever, he actually saw something inside the sphere. What he saw though, caused his insides to turn to ice. It was a stone room with a large fire in the middle of it, and beside the fire he could make out several blurry shapes. One was standing over another and the rest were hidden in the shadows just beyond the flames, but it was the two figures in the front that caught his attention. The one standing was wearing a scarlet cloak and had his hand outstretched over the one on the floor who was dressed in Hogwarts robes and had long red hair, and she was curled on the floor in agony, obviously under the influence of the cruciatus curse, and her mouth was silently screaming. As he watched the picture, the figure casting the curse turned and looked directly at him, and Harry saw his own face, but the eyes were not his own, instead, they were blood red and he was laughing.  
  
"Ginny!" he said loudly as he tore his gaze away from the ball and looked around the room, but his cry had been ignored by all but James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily. Peter was sitting at the other side of the room with a brown haired Hufflepuff girl.  
  
"Who's Ginny?" asked James as he looked to Harry in concern  
  
"What?" asked Harry, his mind still on the image of himself torturing the girl he loved  
  
"You said the name Ginny, did you see something in the ball?" asked Sirius  
  
"Oh, um, yeah, I saw my girlfriend, Ginny" answered Harry as he tried to calm his racing heart  
  
"What did you see, you looked terrified" asked Lily  
  
"Nothing" answered Harry, a cold edge to his voice, indicating that he didn't want to talk about it anymore. Thankfully though, the bell rang just then and the subject was dropped. "Come on, we need to get to our rooms" said Harry and the others silently followed him to the fourth floor and into the rooms he shared with Sirius, who was sitting expectantly at the desk.  
  
"Hello, I'm glad you came, there are a few things we need to discuss" he said as he stood and led the guilty students over to the couch and armchairs. The four students sat close together on the couch and Harry and the older Sirius sat facing them in the armchairs. They looked to each other for a moment before Sirius broke the silence "So, what exactly did you see and hear yesterday, and how much have you been able to figure out because of it?" he asked  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: I am so, so, so, so, so, so, so sorry for this being late, but I just moved back home for a couple of weeks and then I had to start back to work and do Christmas shopping and everything else you could possibly imagine for the past several days, so please forgive me. Thank you so much for all of the very nice reviews, especially queen of hearts who has read the entire story almost in the past couple days and reviewed every chapter along the way. Thanks to all of the rest of you too, I really appreciate the positive feedback and when I started writing this, I had no idea so many people would ever read it, let alone review it, 623 of you now, I am so happy! Well, I would go through and thank you all individually, but that would make me even later posting this, so I'll wait and try to do it next time. Next chapter should be up Monday or Tuesday since I'm off tomorrow and Monday. Please let me know what you think about this chapter, I had a lot of trouble making it all fit and if some of it is confusing or ooc, I'm sorry. Thanks again! Please let me know what you think! 


	45. Confrontations and a Full Moon

Chapter 45  
  
The three marauders and Lily all looked anxiously to one another, before James began to speak, hesitantly "Well, we saw you on the map, and saw who you really were" he began  
  
"And who do you think we are?" asked the older Sirius  
  
"Well, you're Sirius Black and you're Harry Potter" answered Remus as he pointed to Sirius and Harry  
  
"Very good, now what else did you figure out?" asked Harry  
  
"Well, we think you must be from the future or something and that you are James and Lily's son" said Sirius  
  
"Right again" said Harry with a nod and a smile  
  
"Wow Lil's, we really do get married and have a kid" said James in amazement "I was starting to think that Harry was some long lost cousin or something"  
  
"I guess you're right, we have a kid who right now is older that us and that is in the process of lecturing us for sneaking around and spying on him" said Lily with a grin and James' face fell  
  
"Oh yeah, that's just a little weird" he muttered and everyone else laughed  
  
After several minutes of laughing, they calmed down enough for Harry to speak again "So, anything else you know?" he asked  
  
"And we also figured out that we're dead" said James calmly  
  
At this, Harry and Sirius looked to each other in horror "How did you figure that out?" asked Harry finally, all the previous lightheartedness forgotten  
  
"Well, you told us the first time we asked you about your parents that they died when you were young, and then yesterday we heard you say that you were happy that you decided to get to know Lily and I because you never had the opportunity to meet us before, so we figured that we were your parents that dies while you were a baby" said James with a shrug of his shoulders  
  
"I guess you wouldn't tell us how and when they died, would you?" asked Sirius hopefully  
  
"Sorry, we can't, but you have no idea how much we both wish we could" said Harry in a depressed tone before he decided to change the subject "What else do you know?" he asked them  
  
"Well, we heard you say that Padfoot was in Azkaban" said Remus "Can you tell us why?"  
  
"No, another thing that is better left unknown, but I'll assure you that he was innocent" said Harry with a grim smile  
  
"That's all we found out about the future, then" said James with a shrug of his shoulders  
  
"Good, well, just so you know, we'll have to erase your memories before we leave, just to be safe" warned Sirius "Now, what did you see as far as Harry's abilities?" he asked  
  
"Well, we know he has more than one animagus form, at least three, a raven, a jaguar, and a griffin. And we know he is able to do some wandless magic, like summoning things. We saw him summon his staff yesterday and his glasses and clothes this morning" answered Remus  
  
"True on all of those assumptions" said Harry "But please don't tell anyone about any of that" he pleaded  
  
"Well, it doesn't look like you know as much as we feared" said Sirius with a smile on his face "Just remember that you can't tell anyone else what you found out, not event the headmaster knows" he said and the marauders all nodded their heads, but Lily was still looking curiously at Harry  
  
"Have you really faced you-know-who more than once and survived, and were you really hit by the killing curse once?" she asked suddenly and Harry and Sirius exchanged a glance before Harry answered  
  
"Yes, I've met Voldemort on five separate occasions, and survived all of those through sheer luck. And yes, I was hit with the killing curse once, and how I survived, I still don't know" he answered, deciding not to mention the many times he was hit with the curse while being held by the death eaters, or the fact that it was her sacrifice that protected him the first time  
  
"Oh" was all she said before she too nodded to show that she wouldn't tell their secrets  
  
"Well, now that we are done with that, we need to ask a favor of you four" said Harry "We came here in search of a girl, and it is a matter of life and death that we find her and bring her back with us to perform a very old and complicated spell" he told them in all seriousness  
  
"Who is she?" asked the younger Sirius  
  
"We don't know for sure, but we do know that she is the daughter of a very powerful wizard and a muggle woman. Her mother left the baby girl with her brother when the girl was two and she has been raised by the woman's brother ever since. She is a sixth year now, and her father was a Slytherin, but we don't know what house she's in" answered Harry as he remembered every single detain he could from the time Voldemort spoke of his daughter.  
  
"Is that all you know about her?" asked Remus after he thought about what Harry had said for a couple of minutes  
  
"Yes, other than the fact that her eyes are not black or dark brown" said Harry with a smirk  
  
"Oh, that helps us a lot" muttered the younger Sirius  
  
"Tell me about it, I've been watching every single girl with light colored eyes forever it seems" said Harry  
  
"I take it you don't know her last name or anything, do you?" asked Lily with her brow furrowed  
  
"No, we think she was born under her mother's maiden name instead of her fathers" answered Sirius  
  
"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I have no idea" said James finally  
  
"Me either" chorused Remus, Sirius, and Lily  
  
"Well, it was worth a shot anyways, but could you keep your eyes out for us?" asked Harry and the others all nodded in agreement "Thanks" said Harry genuinely  
  
"Is there anything else you needed to talk to us about?" asked Remus as he looked to Harry and Sirius  
  
"Not that I can think of, you Harry?" asked Sirius as he turned to his godson  
  
"Just a few more things. I know Peter is one of your best friends, but please don't tell him what you know" he began "And, if I ask you to go anywhere or do anything that may seem strange, don't do it. Voldemort has some of my hair and he plans to use it in a polyjuice potion, so watch your backs, he knows who my friends are and he wouldn't hesitate to use any of you to get to me" he said sternly and they all nodded "And lastly, in case we don't get another chance to talk, it's been a dream come true to finally get to meet you" he said fondly as he looked to his future mother and father  
  
"You too" said Lily softly as she smiled at Harry for a minute before Sirius interrupted them  
  
"You four had better get back to the tower, it's getting late and in case I'm not mistaken, three of you will probably not get much sleep tomorrow night" he said as he looked to James, Sirius, and Remus  
  
"Wrong" said James and Sirius looked taken aback for a moment before he continued "Four of us won't be getting much sleep tomorrow night, Harry is going to join us" he said with a mischievous grin on his face  
  
"Oh, well in that case, all of you had better get to bed" said Sirius  
  
"Geeze, when did I turn into mister responsible father figure" asked the younger Sirius with a groan and the others all broke down into laughter again  
  
"Don't worry, you still play your fair share of pranks" reassured Harry  
  
"Yeah, and I would play a lot more if my godson weren't constantly getting into strange and dangerous situations that I had to help him with" said the older Sirius  
  
"What are you talking about, Sirius?" asked Harry innocently  
  
"Oh, I don't know, maybe the incident with the duel at the beginning of term, or maybe the time you cast a silencing spell on Poppy and Albus" he answered with a smirk  
  
"Oh yeah" said Harry "I forgot about that one with the headmaster and Madame Pomfrey"  
  
"Wait, you cast a spell on the headmaster and the mediwitch and you weren't expelled!?" asked James in amazement  
  
"Yeah, what can I say, I was in the hospital wing trying to sleep right before Christmas break and they were talking too loudly, I didn't even realize what I had done until Sirius told me a couple of days later" he said with a smile  
  
"But what kind of punishment did you get for that, about a months worth of detention?" asked the younger Sirius  
  
"No, they tend to over look some of the things I do" said Harry with a shrug and a wide grin  
  
"More like they have a complete blind spot where you are concerned, it took Minerva, Remus, and I nearly twelve hours to undo that little charm" said Sirius as he looked pointedly at his godson  
  
"Hey, I apologized to both of them and they forgave me, why can't you?" accused Harry playfully as the other four students watched in amusement  
  
"Well, it might be that I'm still sore about the 'mum' comments you have been shooting me for the past months, or maybe I still haven't forgiven you for stunning me and leaving me on the stairs for hours, or I just might be angry because you always thrash me when go against each other with our swords" said Sirius in a highly affronted tone of voice  
  
"Well, I'll apologize for the stunning incident, even though I made it clear that I didn't need any help, but you are the worst mother hen I have ever met and I won't apologize for defeating you when we fight, because you know how hard it was to tolerate Snape for two weeks while he taught me?" asked Harry  
  
"Ok, fine, I know I wouldn't have wanted to be in your place for those weeks" said Sirius with a shudder  
  
The other four just looked at one another in shock upon hearing Snape's name before James spoke up "You took lessons from that greasy git?!" he demanded  
  
"Yes, he taught me hand to hand combat" answered Harry  
  
"Why didn't Padfoot teach you that?" asked Remus  
  
"Simple, I may be good, but Snape is far better than me when it comes to actual fighting" answered the older Sirius  
  
"You mean you just complimented Snape?" asked the younger Sirius in shock  
  
"Yes, but I don't make it a habit, even though a lot has changed since we were in school and we are forced to work together, we are far from friends" guaranteed Sirius  
  
"Good, it's nice to see that some things will never change" said James "Come on guys, we better go so Filch can't catch us" he said as he stood and stretched his legs  
  
"I agree, night Harry, night.what should we call you, it's strange to think that you're actually me" said Sirius as he looked at his brown haired counterpart  
  
"Just call me Joseph" said Sirius with a smile "We'll keep it simple"  
  
"All right, we'll see you two at breakfast then" said Lily as she followed the boys out the door.  
  
"Well, that went well" said Sirius once the door had closed behind them  
  
"Yeah, I was afraid we were going to be in for it" said Remus  
  
"So, what do you make of all of this?" asked James  
  
"I don't know, I wish they would just tell us why this girl is so important. They said finding her was a matter of life and death. Who's I wonder?" asked Lily  
  
"I don't know, but I can't believe that we have a son who ends up being so powerful, I mean, he's faced you-know-who five times and is still alive" said James in admiration  
  
"Yeah, and he's managed to stay somewhat normal even after being raised by me" said Sirius, seeming to be even more shocked than James  
  
"Yeah, it's pathetic that your godson has to stun you in order to make you stop mothering him" said Lily and she was met by a playful fist in her arm  
  
"Yeah Padfoot, that's pathetic" said James with a laugh  
  
"Come on, that's not fair, I'm being made fun of for things that won't happen for another twenty something years" said Sirius with a pout, but before the others cold respond, the rounded a corner to come face to face wit Severus Snape  
  
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Potter and his little fan club" he said with a smirk  
  
"Bugger off, Snape, you don't have Malfoy to fight your battles for you anymore" said James as he tried to step forward  
  
"Oh, I'm not going to fight you Potter, I just wanted to warn you to keep an eye out on your little friend Pearson, it's a shame that he's defenseless now without his precious staff. I would hate it if something happened to him" he said as he stepped around James and continued down the hall before they could figure out just what he had said  
  
"Bloody bastard, he knows something!" exclaimed James angrily  
  
"Calm down Prongs, we don't know that for sure" said Remus as they continued to walk  
  
"Oh, I know he is hiding something, I'll bet he was the one that took the staff in the first place" fumed James "He may be on the good side in the future, but he's not now" he finished  
  
"You have a point, maybe we should keep an eye on him for now" agreed Sirius as they reached Gryffindor tower, and went up to their own beds for some much needed rest.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next day passed quickly, and before they knew it, the sun was setting and James, Sirius, and Peter were sneaking out of the castle to meet Harry at the edge of the lake. They were under the invisibility cloak and were able to sneak up to within about a meter without him hearing them, or so they thought.  
  
"It's about time you three got here, you can take off that cloak you know, I know you're there" he said with a smirk as he looked directly to them and they sheepishly removed the cloak.  
  
"Hey, we were just trying to surprise you" said Sirius with a guilty grin  
  
"Not a good idea, I would hate to be responsible for my actions if someone snuck up on me" he said with a smile as they approached the willow  
  
"Thanks for the warning" said James "Hey Padfoot, why don't you two go the shack and get Moony, Harry and I will meet you here" he suggested  
  
"Sure" said Peter with a shrug "So, Harry, what was your animagus form again?" he asked as he looked to Harry  
  
"Oh, well, it'll be a surprise once you three get back" he said quickly, remembering that Peter's memories about Harry saying he was a raven as well as him assuming the form of a jaguar in transfiguration and a griffin in the forest had all been erased  
  
"Ok, we'll be back in a couple of minutes" he said and with two pops a rat and a dog were in the place of Sirius and Peter who both set off down the tunnel after Wormtail had pressed the knot at the base of the tree.  
  
"So, what form are you going to take?" asked James as he turned to face Harry  
  
"I don't know, what is your suggestion?" Harry asked as he looked at his father  
  
"Well, your choices are a raven, a jaguar, and a griffin, right?" he asked  
  
"No, I won't use the jaguar, don't ask why, but that's not really me" said Harry sternly  
  
"Ok, so a raven or a griffin, right?" asked James  
  
"Well, not really, I have more than just those forms" said Harry with a smile  
  
"What, you have more than three forms, how many total?" asked James in amazement  
  
"Well, I think my current total is between twenty and thirty, but I'm not sure" said Harry with a shrug  
  
"Wow, can you change into any other magical animals?" asked James  
  
"I don't know, I haven't had time to try yet" answered Harry truthfully  
  
"Oh, well in that case, I would suggest that you turn into something that can keep up with us, Peter usually rides either me or Sirius" he suggested  
  
"Ok, well how about I just go with the raven since I like to fly" said Harry as he tilted his head to the side "We better change, they're almost here" he said and promptly changed into a black bird with green eyes and a lightning bolt, and James transformed into a white stag, and a few moments later they were joined by a dog, a rat, and a werewolf and the group of five set off at a brisk pace into the depths of a forest, Harry flying over them.  
  
Once deep inside the forest, Sirius and Remus began a playful dog fight, with James occasionally gently butting one or the other with his antlers and Peter running between the legs of the three animals. Harry just watched his father and his friends play from his perch on a large rock at the edge of the clearing they were in, and after several minutes, the marauders all collapsed in a panting heap on the forest floor. They rested in companionable silence for over an hour before Moony leapt to his feet and took off at a full out run deeper into the forest. Sirius and James looked to each other with shocked expressions on their faces before running after him, leaving Peter behind. Harry spread his wings and took off as well, going high into the sky and searching through the branches below him for any sign of the wolf that was somewhere below him. Within minutes, he caught sight of a blur of gray fur and began to descend toward him when a voice caught his attention. It was speaking to his mind and he knew at once who it was, Terres.  
  
"My child, you must not let them come any deeper into the forest, the dark lord has used his powers to summon all of the dark creatures that live in the forest, and Remus has heard him and can not resist the urge of the wolf. You must make them leave the forest and return to safety before any of them are captured" she said almost frantically  
  
"What, Voldemort is in the forest?" he asked in shock  
  
"No, he is not here himself, but several dozen of his followers are and he is using the staff to lure all of the dark creatures to the death eaters he sent here, hurry before they find your friends" she demanded and Harry hurriedly landed on the other side of the trees from where Remus was and transformed into the first thing that popped into his mind, a black lion. He knew that he couldn't change into a human because Remus would unknowingly attack him, but perhaps he could intimidate the wolf enough in this form to convince him to turn around and leave the forest.  
  
Just as he had finished transforming, the wolf came crashing through the underbrush and skidded to a halt directly in front of the lion's feet with a startled yelp. The lion looked down on the gray wolf, but before either one could do anything, a crashing of underbrush signaled the arrival of a dog and a stag who skidded to a halt as well and the lion looked up to them, momentarily distracted by their arrival. Suddenly though, the wolf gave a low and throaty growl and lunged at the lion with his teeth barred and sank them into the distracted lions shoulder. Harry roared in pain before sending the enraged wolf flying across the forest floor with a yelp, causing the dog to start growling as it approached the black lion with his hackles raised in defense of his wolf friend, but before he could strike the lion, the stag leapt forward and placed himself between the dog and the lion, lowering his antlers toward the grim like creature and the wolf who was now standing beside the dog, with his back to the lion. Confused, the wolf and the dog stopped their advance and starred at the stag who met their gaze without flinching. They continued their stand off for several moments before a low and throaty growl from the lion shook them out of it and the stag turned to face the green eyed creature, but he kept one eye focused on the two canines behind him. The lion approached the stag and gently but forcefully nudged him toward the direction they had come from, and the stag seemed to know what he wanted because he began to urge the wolf and the dog away from their current position and surprisingly, neither protested his silent commands.  
  
After several minutes of silent walking, they reached the clearing they had been in only a short time before to find a short scrap of parchment from Peter telling them that he had gone back to the castle alone. They then proceeded to the whomping willow, and after the dog managed to stop its assault, the three creatures descended into the passage way to spend the rest of the night in the shrieking shack.  
  
Meanwhile, back in the forest, the lion was listening intently for any sign of the death eaters that Terres had warned him about, but he was relieved to hear nothing. Figuring that they had left after recruiting all of the creatures they could, he turned and walked haltingly back toward the castle himself, his shoulder aching from the deep bite he had been given. It took him nearly two hours to reach the borders of the school grounds, and by the time he did so, the sun was just beginning to rise and he could make out the forms of two people walking quickly toward the castle who he recognized to be James and Sirius. Giving a quiet roar, he succeeded in getting their attention and they both spun around to see him. James started to jog toward him, but Sirius grabbed the back of his cloak and stopped him and Harry could just hear what they were saying as he continued to walk toward them.  
  
"James, what in the hell do you think you're doing! That creature attacked Remus! He'll kill us if we get to close" shouted Sirius as he held tight to his best friends' cloak  
  
James just gave him a glare before speaking "Sirius, Moony attacked him first, he's hurt, and we need to help him" he cried desperately  
  
"Are you crazy! Why don't we just go get Hagrid and tell him to get his crossbow and finish that monster off. He's dangerous!" said Sirius forcefully  
  
"What!? Do you have any idea what you're saying?" demanded James  
  
"Yes, that is defiantly a dark creature and he needs to be destroyed. I mean, have you ever seen a solid black lion before?" he asked  
  
"Sirius, just shut up and listen for a minute. That is not just a lion, it's Harry and he's hurt, now come on!" James exclaimed  
  
"What do you mean it's Harry? How do you know?" asked Sirius doubtfully  
  
"Look at him. We've both seen him change into a raven and a griffin and remember, both of those had green eyes and a lightning bolt. That lion has green eyes and on his shoulder was a white lightning bolt, I saw it last night, that's why I stopped you from attacking him" explained James hastily "He was trying to make us leave the forest for some reason" he added and Sirius reluctantly followed him to the animal  
  
When they were within a few meters of the lion, it stopped and with a faint pop changed into a very tired looking Harry "Morning" he said to the two Gryffindors as he clutched his left shoulder in his right hand "Where's Remus?" he asked in worry as he looked around the empty grounds  
  
"Madame Pomfrey comes to get him and takes him to the hospital wing first thing, and we would have a lot of explaining to do if we were caught in the shack with him" explained Sirius "Hey, I'm sorry about last night, I had no idea it was you" he said hesitantly  
  
"It's ok, no harm done" said Harry with an awkward shrug as he tried to smile reassuringly, but it came out as more of a grimace  
  
"No harm my arse, let me see your shoulder" demanded James as he tried to pry Harry's hand from his shoulder  
  
"No, its fine, I just need to get Madame Pomfrey to check it and clean it" said Harry and they started to make their way toward the castle, but they were met at in the entrance hall by Dumbledore and the mediwitch.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, Harry, good morning" he greeted them kindly, but before he could say more, Madame Pomfrey caught sight of Harry  
  
"And what happened to you, young man?" she demanded "And why are the three of you out so early on a Sunday?" she added  
  
"Oh, um" began Sirius  
  
"Well, um, you see" began James  
  
"They went out with me early this morning to check the wards for Joseph before breakfast, he was pretty tired after the past couple of days so I decided to let him have a bit of a lie in" said Harry smoothly "But we came into contact with an angry stray dog down by the village and he bit my shoulder, I was wondering if you could have a look ma'am" he said with a smile directed toward the matron  
  
"Certainly, now let me see" she demanded and Harry obediently removed his grip on his shoulder "Dear me, that dog certainly did a number on you" she tsked as she gently prodded the wound "Hold still and let me close that up" she said as she aimed her wand at his shoulder, muttering a few words under her breath to clean the bite before closing it up "There, good as new, but I'm afraid you'll be left with a pretty nasty scar" she warned and Harry just shrugged  
  
"Oh well, what's one more scar" he said "Thank you Madame, I had better get back to my room and let my godfather know that everything is all right, goodbye Headmaster, James, Sirius" he said as he turned and walked in the direction of the staff quarters as the two professors set out onto the grounds and the students went in the direction of their common room in silence.  
  
When Harry entered the portrait hole guarding their rooms, he was not surprised to find Sirius sitting on the couch with a cup of tea in his hand.  
  
"Good morning, Sirius" he greeted the man as he shut the portrait  
  
"Morning, did you have fun last night?" he asked as he smiled at Harry  
  
"Yeah, until the death eaters tried to round up all the dark creatures from the forest, including the werewolves. Terres said that Voldemort used my staff to summon them, and he probably recruited every dark creature that was in the forest last night" said Harry pointedly "Needless to say, Moony was not very willing to return to the shrieking shack" he said as he fingered his torn robes. Sirius immediately jumped to his feet and hurried to Harry's side.  
  
"He attacked you!?" he exclaimed as he got a closer look at the fresh scars on Harry's shoulder  
  
"Don't worry, I was in my animagus form when he bit me and Madame Pomfrey cleaned it up and healed it. I'm fine so calm down. I'm more worried about Remus, even though he couldn't control what happened, you know he'll still feel guilty for biting me, give me a couple of minutes and we can go down to breakfast" said Harry as he shrugged off his black cloak and robe and headed toward the shower.  
  
"All right, but hurry up, I'm hungry" said Sirius, and as soon as Harry left, his thoughts turned to Remus, he knew the boy would feel terrible for what happened.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Harry returned to the living room, pulling his hair into a wet ponytail as he walked "Ready?" he asked his godfather who nodded and the two left for the great hall.  
  
The day passed quickly for Harry, he spent the entire time with Sirius in the village, not only to continue with the wards, but also as a way to avoid the marauders. He preferred to wait until Remus was out of the hospital the next day before speaking to any of them about why he had prevented them from staying in the forest, and he only wanted to have to explain his actions once, but he knew he would have to, and he was not looking forward to telling them that Remus had not only been affected by the lure of the evil wizard, but that he would have been forced to join him if Harry had not stopped him.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N: Sorry this is so short. Thanks for reviewing the last chapter, and please let me know how this one was. Chapter 46 should be up by Friday, depending on how work goes. 


	46. A Mission and an Imposter

Chapter 46  
  
Ginny had been bored out of her mind for longer than she cared to remember. She spent every waking moment either in classes, the library, or the common room, more often than not alone. Ron and Hermione were always together studying for their NEWTS or doing what couples do, and she was hesitant to do anything with Colin after what happened last time she had turned to him for comfort. It was times like these when she missed Harry the most, and her heart was constantly aching to see him again and sit in front of the fire or walk the grounds together like normal teenage couples did, but deep down, she knew that they would never be like any other teenage couple.  
  
The school term would be ending in only one more week, and then she would return to the burrow for two months with her family before coming back to the castle for her final year, and hopefully Harry would be waiting for her when she arrived. She had continued to send letters nearly every other day, and Hedwig would always return without them and she knew that the Snowy owl was too intelligent to deliver them to the wrong person, but she was worried by the lack of response she received.  
  
During the past several weeks, Ginny had sent countless letters to her boyfriend, but not once had she heard any word from him, and she was torn between immense worry and heated anger, both playing equal roles among her emotions. Classes had continued much the same as always, but everyone felt the increase in security around the school since the death eater attacks had increased drastically in number during the past weeks, and yet the ministry was no closer to finding those behind them especially since all the suspected death eaters had either been taken prisoner after the battle the previous year, or had vanished along with Harry and Voldemort, leaving no clues as to who their successors were.  
  
Hogesmede weekends had all been cancelled, and the grounds were once again off limits except for classes and the older students were reminded too strongly of the first several months following the rebirth of Voldemort after the triwizard tournament, a time all of them wished they could forget. Those first few months had been agony, everyone constantly looking over their shoulder, expecting to be attacked at any moment, and the professors had not been much calmer, but after the initial paranoia, the tense atmosphere slowly dissipated when it became obvious that Voldemort was biding his time to prepare for attack, which came nearly two years later.  
  
Now though, the tension had returned full force since everyone knew that the death eaters were out for revenge on the one who had destroyed their master, and it was common knowledge to the wizarding world that Harry Potter was at Hogwarts since no one but Dumbledore knew the truth where he really was, everyone else suspected that he was being hidden somewhere secret within the enormous castle. But the students had no idea about the real reason that Hogwarts was threatened, the fact that those followers of the dark lord had felt the mark burn and were aware that the summons had been from somewhere within the castle. Sure, revenge on Harry Potter would be an added bonus, but they were currently only concerned with finding their master and following him into the destruction of everything they were against. Little did they know though, but the one they sought revenge on and the one they were trying to return to were in fact one and the same at the time.  
  
In fact, only nine people actually knew the truth about this, and only seven of them were actually in any danger from the threatening attacks, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Draco, Remus, Snape, and Dumbledore, and none of them were about to tell what they knew to anyone on their own free will. The other two, Harry and Sirius, were completely oblivious to what was plaguing their home at the time, and therefore thought that those they cared for were safe from harm as long as they were not there to put them into any danger, but they were wrong.  
  
Ginny was sitting in front of the fire with her charms book opened on the table in front of her and a long parchment beside it, trying in vain to write an essay on the different types of success charms that had been common during the period of time known as the Renaissance, and she was getting nowhere. Her thoughts kept straying to what was to come in the next week and how difficult it would be on her and her friends. In exactly eight days, the seventh years would be attending their graduation, with Draco and Hermione at the top of the class.  
  
In truth, Harry should be Head Boy, since he was more advanced in his studies and had higher marks than Draco, but he had turned down the position when it was offered to him just after term began, and so, the honor had passed to the next in line, which had turned out to be Draco, and thus, he and Hermione would have to both make short speeches at the ceremony and would be the first to receive their honors. Ginny would of course be going to support her brother, but it would be weird when they came to the place in the ceremony when Harry's name should have been read and not hear it or see him receive that which he had worked so hard for over the past seven years.  
  
The mere thought of the pending ceremony brought tears to her eyes which she angrily brushed away as the portrait hole opened to reveal the forms of Ron and Hermione, both laden down with a large pile of books from the library to help them prepare for their NEWTS which they would be taking in just three days time. She quickly composed herself before greeting the other two and settling back down to work on the essay she had to have completed before tomorrow morning.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Monday morning, Harry and Sirius walked tiredly to the great hall for breakfast, neither speaking more than a few words the entire way. Harry was one of the first ones at the Gryffindor table and was already well on his way through a plate of eggs when the marauders came stumbling through the door. Sirius and James collapsed on either side of Harry, and Remus and Lily sat across form him and James while Peter went off in the direction of the Hufflepuff table. Harry greeted them all and received only a grunt in return as Sirius began to pile his plate with toast while muttering something about hating Mondays, and Remus looked away in shame, James and Lily both too caught up in their own conversation to notice what was going on around them.  
  
"How are you feeling Remus?" asked Harry as the brown haired boy began to pick at his own plate  
  
"Fine" he mumbled back, so quietly that Harry could barley hear his voice before he blurted out "Harry, I'm really sorry about what happened, I didn't mean to hurt you, I don't know what came over me, usually I'm much more in control of myself than that, especially around other animals. I've never bitten anything before, and I'll understand if you never want to speak to me again" he said without looking up or taking a single breath.  
  
"Remus, look at me" demanded Harry gently and the other boy looked hesitantly up at him and Harry gave a kind smile "Listen, what happened was not your fault, you couldn't control it and I'm fine, so don't feel guilty about anything. Luckily, since I was in my animagus form when you bit me, it was the same as any other dog bite and I will not become a werewolf because of it" he said and he noticed that they finally had the attention of James and Lily as well as Sirius who was looking much more alert "Now listen, I know you would never do anything like that intentionally, so forget about it" he finished up  
  
Remus gave a shy but wide smile "Thanks Harry" he said in sincerity  
  
"Hey, I have a question for you, Harry. I wanted to ask you yesterday, but I got the distinct impression you were trying to avoid us" accused Sirius "Now, I want to know why you tried to scare us out of the forest" he asked as he pinned Harry with a demanding glare, but it faltered when Harry wasn't intimidated by it and returned it ten fold without blinking.  
  
"Terres found out that there were death eaters in the forest, not far from where we were. Voldemort had used my staff to summon all the dark creatures that lived in the forest to his followers who were capturing them, and even though Remus is far from a supporter of him, the wolf wouldn't have been able to resist the summons, so I had to make you all go back to the shack where it was safe" he explained, noticing them all flinch at the mention of Voldemort's name, and pale when they found out what had really happened.  
  
"You mean we were really that close to being found by death eaters?" asked Sirius quietly  
  
"Yes, and they would have probably just killed you two if they had found you as well" explained Harry  
  
"Well then, I guess we should thank you for saving all of our lives" said James finally after the truth had sunk in  
  
"Wrong, I think I should thank you for not letting Sirius tell Hagrid to use his crossbow on me like he wanted to" said Harry with a smile  
  
"Yeah, sorry about that, I just didn't realize it was you" mumbled Sirius, looking ashamed, which caused Harry to start laughing out loud "What's so funny?" demanded the boy  
  
"You, I just find it hilarious that even now, you are so much like my godfather that it's downright scary. He acts the exact same way as an adult as you do as a sixteen year old" laughed Harry, and that earned him a glare from Sirius, and a light smack on the back of the head from his godfather who was standing behind him, which caused him to only laugh harder.  
  
"Oh shut up" growled the older Sirius "Come on, we have work to do" he said as he hauled Harry to his feet with a firm hand on his upper arm, which he removed when he heard Sherlock hiss from under his robes, and Harry had finally stopped laughing.  
  
"What? I thought I was going to go to lessons today" he said with his brow furrowed in confusion  
  
"Change in plans. Dumbledore has a lead about where Voldemort is hiding, and we're going to see if it is true" said Sirius  
  
"Oh, well then, I guess that this is important, by guys, I'll see you later tonight" said Harry  
  
"No, he'll see you in a couple of days, this is a pretty long trip" corrected Sirius as he started to walk from the great hall  
  
"Ok, by Harry, Joseph, be careful and good luck" said Lily  
  
"Yeah, good luck" chorused James, Sirius, and Remus as Harry and his godfather walked quickly from the great hall  
  
"Where are we going, exactly?" asked Harry once they had reached the entrance hall  
  
"Well, Albus thinks that you-know-who is hiding somewhere in Albania, so we are going to go see if we can find out anything" explained Sirius "Could you do me a favor and summon my cloak for me? You're a lot faster at doing that than I am and we really need to get going" he said as he glanced around the hall to make sure no one was watching them and a moment later Harry was handing him his dark blue cloak "Thanks" he said as he pulled it on.  
  
The pair then walked swiftly from the castle in the direction of the village where they apparated to Albania, in search of Voldemort.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Harry and Sirius remained in Albania until lunch time Saturday and didn't see a single sign of Voldemort or his death eaters, which irritated and frustrated both of them to no end. Finally, it became obvious that they had been misled and they decided to return to Hogwarts. When they appeared in Hogesmede, they were surprised for a moment to find the small village crowded with students, until they remembered that it was a Hogesmede weekend, and the last one of term.  
  
"Hey, Sirius, is it all right with you if I stay down here? I want to look for the others and see if they found anything out while we were gone" said Harry  
  
"That's fine with me, I'll go back up to the castle and let Albus know that it was a dead end. Come up to the room when you get back and let me know what you find out" he said as he continued to walk in the direction of the castle and Harry turned toward Zonko's to find the marauders.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
James, Lily, Sirius, and Remus were sitting in the Three Broomsticks drinking butterbeer and talking quietly to one another.  
  
"When do you think Harry and Joseph will be back?" asked James for the eighth time that day  
  
"Soon, Prongs" answered Remus  
  
"Where do you think they went?" asked Sirius  
  
"Who knows, but I hope they found you-know-who and taught him a lesson he won't soon forget" answered Remus  
  
"Do any of you have any idea about who this girl really is that we're looking for? Why is it so important that we find her?" asked Lily  
  
"I don't know, maybe she is really powerful or something and they need her in the future for something" said James with a shrug "Why, do you have an idea about who she is?" he asked hopefully  
  
"No, but I'm just curious as to why they can't use the future her to do whatever needs done. I mean, why come all the way into the past to find her when she is the same person twenty years from now" she said thoughtfully  
  
"Yeah, but what if they need her for something, but she died in their time, so they had to come get her past self" answered Remus  
  
"Maybe, but why risk altering the past for something like this, I mean, look at how much we've already found out about our futures" said James  
  
"I agree, but whatever they need this girl for must be pretty important, so we should keep looking" said Sirius and the others all nodded in agreement.  
  
Just then, the doors to the pub opened up and someone wearing a thick black cloak with the cowl up walked in and made his way over to their table, but what caught their eyes the most was the intricate gold and wooden staff he clutched in his right hand. When he reached their table, he lowered his hood and they all saw a familiar scarred face gazing at them in interest.  
  
"Harry!" exclaimed James "When did you get back?" he asked as he scooted his chair over to make room for the other boy  
  
"Only just now" answered the black haired boy without making a move to take a seat  
  
"Well, I see you got your staff back, did everything turn out all right?" asked Remus with a kind smile  
  
"Quite. Listen, I need to talk to all of you, could we maybe go somewhere a little less populated?" he asked as he looked over his shoulder, missing the curious glances the others sent each other  
  
"Sure" said James finally as he got to his feet, the others following suite and Harry led them from the pub and down the main road of the village without saying a word "Hey, Harry, where are you taking us?" asked James as they turned down a dark alley  
  
"Just to this little area I found a few weeks ago where we'll be away from prying eyes and ears" he said levelly without turning to face them  
  
They continued to walk for several more minutes before Harry drew to a halt in front of a heavy wooden door which he knocked loudly on. The door swung open and Harry entered, the other four walking close behind him. Before they knew what was happening, they all felt strong arms grab them from the shadows and pull their wands from their pockets before they tied them tightly and dropped them unceremoniously in a heap on the wooden floor in the corner of a large, dusty room.  
  
"Harry, what in bloody hell do you think you are doing!?" demanded James once he regained his senses  
  
"Really, Harry, this is not funny" growled Sirius while Lily and Remus just sat in silence and starred at the shadowy figures in the middle of the room. One of them, Harry stepped forward after a couple of minutes and spoke in a low and menacing voice.  
  
"Let's get a few things straight before we begin" he said "First, I am not Harry, second, you are not my friends and I will do with you as I please, so don't tell me otherwise, and last, once you have served your purpose, I will kill you all" he finished as he locked eyes with each of them in turn  
  
"Who are you and what do you want?" demanded James  
  
"Well, as for who I am, you will find out soon enough, Potter, and what I want is to find out just who your friend really is and for this Harry to join my ranks again and tell me just how he got this magnificent staff so that I will be able to rid the world of all the mudbloods, muggle lovers, and muggles. But until he arrives, I will experiment with its power myself, Crucio" he said as he directed the staff to James who fell screaming to the floor on his side.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry was walking through the streets of the village looking for the marauders and Lily, but he was having no luck so he decided to ask Madame Rosemarta if she had seen them today so he turned around and headed in the opposite direction for the pub.  
  
"Hello, dear, what can I do for you today?" she asked with a smile  
  
"Hello, ma'am, I was wondering if you had seen James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, or Lily Evans at all today" said Harry  
  
"Why, yes I have. They just left about twenty minutes ago with a boy who looked a lot like you, but he was wearing a black cloak and carrying a staff of some sort" she said and Harry felt the blood pounding in his ears as her words sunk in  
  
"Oh, no" he said under his breath as he turned on his heel and sprinted for the door without another word. He ran as fast as he could down the main street before turning down the first alley he came to with one thing on his mind, Voldemort had his parents. As he rounded the corner, he skidded to a halt when he saw what was awaiting him, ten death eaters with their wands drawn and pointed at him, Lucius Malfoy in the lead. As he set eyes on the pale blonde younger version of the man who had tortured him, a flood of pain and blood filled memories came rushing into Harry's mind, causing his head to spin until he shook it forcefully and brought his mind back to the present. "Where are they?" he demanded of the men  
  
"Follow us, and don't attract any attention or you all die" ordered Malfoy as the others surrounded Harry and began to herd him back out onto the main road. Harry knew he could easily stun the death eaters around him and he wished for nothing more than to kill Malfoy before he could cause Ginny or himself all the pain that was in their future, but if he were to do so, then he may never find his parents or friends so he decided to play along, for now.  
  
They walked quickly for several minutes, and every step he took, Harry became more and more aware that he was going to face Voldemort as his scar began to throb with pain. Knowing that this would be hard enough as it was, Harry focused as much of his energy as possible into the barrier that was holding the evil spirit in his head in place, trying to strengthen it as much as possible to keep in control during the impending fight. After several minutes, Harry felt the barrier strengthen to the point that he was nearly unaware of the presence inside his head and he was allowed a moment of sheer bliss and silence for the first time in several months and he silently wished that he was strong enough to establish such a barrier on a permanent basis, but he knew it would take every ounce of magical energy he possessed to do so.  
  
Suddenly, Harry felt a new stab of pain sweep through his scar as they rounded a last corner into an alley way and walked up to the wooded door which Malfoy opened and Harry stepped in to come face to face with himself.  
  
He didn't have any time to process what he was seeing though, because at that moment, his eyes fell to four familiar figures who were bound on the ground in front of him, one of them screaming from the pain of the cruciatus curse that was being held on him by his twin..  
  
"Release them" he demanded through clenched teeth as he tried to ignore the pain that was stronger than ever in his scar  
  
"Not until I have what I want" said the person with his face as he lifted the curse from James  
  
"What do you want with them, they haven't done anything to you" said Harry  
  
"No, they haven't, but they've served their purpose now, and as soon as we are through with you, they will die" said the other with a crazed smile on his face  
  
"Who are you and what do you want with Harry?" yelled James from his place in the corner and the other person turned to face him  
  
"You will know that in just a matter of moments, but as for what I want with your friend, I want some answers" he said before turning back to face Harry "I want to know who you are and how you came to bear the dark mark on your arm since I didn't give it to you, and I want to know where this staff came from and how to use it to the fullest of its powers, and only Harry here can answer these questions for me" he said, and as he finished his little speech, his features began to shift.  
  
The hair all disappeared into the white skull and the skin was drawn over the bony face, making it look more dead than alive. His fingers lengthened out to resemble skeleton like hands, and the eyes changed from the bright green to blood red, and as soon as the transformation began, it was over and Harry was standing face to face with a living, breathing, Voldemort.  
  
"You see, Harry, I am the most powerful dark lord the world has seen in many years, and if you don't answer my questions, I will not hesitate to kill you and all of your pathetic friends" he threatened as he glared at Harry who just glared right back  
  
"No, Tom Riddle, I will not tell you anything, and you would be wise to release them now before you regret it" warned Harry. At the mention of his muggle name, Voldemort's face flushed with anger.  
  
"Watch your cheek, boy!" he roared "That is no longer my name and you will do well to remember that, boy"  
  
"Idle threats, Tom, what do you say we get this over with so I can get my staff back already" said Harry in a bored tone even though he was scared to death on the inside, worrying about what would happen if Voldemort managed to kill him in the past, or worse yet, carried through with his threats and killed his parents now.  
  
James, Lily, Sirius, and Remus were sitting in shocked silence, watching the war of words going on in front of them. None of them could believe that Harry was speaking so calmly in the face of Voldemort, and they were all a little shocked, a little impressed, and thinking, not for the first time, that Harry really was a bit insane.  
  
"As you wish, but first tell me how you came to bear my mark" said Voldemort as looked to Harry, truly confused.  
  
Harry just smiled a secretive smile before answering "Well, now that is an interesting question for you to be asking me, Tom, but I will answer it nonetheless, you see, you were the one to burn this hideous mark into my arm, much to my annoyance and fight to prevent you from doing so, but you did it anyways, now lets get this going" he said as he pointed his hand toward the death eaters standing behind him and in a flash of blue white light, the three figures fell to the floor, stunned.  
  
"Very impressive, Harry" said Voldemort in mock admiration "But I'm afraid a few tricks of wandless magic won't save any of you. I'll bet you couldn't do another such spell without falling unconscious" he said in a sure voice  
  
Just to prove that he wasn't messing around, Harry held his hand out again and another death eater dropped to the ground, leaving only himself, Voldemort, the four students and twenty death eaters still standing, and Voldemort and his followers were beginning to look worried for a moment before the evil wizard ordered them to kill Harry and they began closing in around him.  
  
Harry stepped around the encircling group until he was standing between them and the four students "Are you all right?" he managed to ask over his shoulder as the death eaters continued to advance on him and with a wave of his hand their bonds dropped to the ground.  
  
"Fine, but be careful!" said James as he saw the tell tale green light of the killing curse fly toward Harry, which he easily deflected into the roof of the building they were in.  
  
The marauders and Lily were watching the display in amazement "I thought he said he could only do simple spells without his staff" whispered Sirius as Harry deflected another killing curse  
  
"He did, but I am getting the feeling that he wasn't telling the truth for some reason" said Remus as Harry lifted his left hand to ward off another curse while stunning spells continued to hit the death eaters from his right hand.  
  
"I would have to agree with you, Moony" said James "I can't believe I going to be the father of someone who is so powerful" he mused quietly to himself and Lily couldn't help but think the same thought as they watched as Harry continued to fight against such a numerous enemy.  
  
After nearly ten minutes of this, Harry had cut the number of death eaters in half and it was clear he had the upper hand in this battle, and Voldemort seemed to see this as well.  
  
"Enough!" he yelled "It is time we finish this!" he said as he strode forward through the bodies of his followers to come to a stop directly across from Harry, but he kept himself several meters away "Who are you?!" he demanded  
  
Harry only smiled and Voldemort was frightened to see that his enemy was not even the least bit tired after the skirmish that he had just fought "You're downfall" he answered with a smirk "The boy who just won't die" he added and this only served to infuriate Voldemort further.  
  
"You insolent little brat!" he roared as he raised the staff in front of him.  
  
Harry tried to summon the staff, but something prevented him from doing magic on the item and it remained in Voldemort's hand as he yelled "Crucio!" at the top of his lungs and a red light shot from the stone on the top of the staff. Harry raised his hand to block the curse, but much to his shock and horror, the curse hit him directly in the chest and he felt the full effects of the power the cruciatus curse held when cast from the staff, and he couldn't help but think of the irony, he was going to be killed by his own staff because he obviously couldn't stop spells that originated from it.  
  
Voldemort was more shocked than even Harry when his spell hit, and because of that the curse was broken after only about a minute, he stood still for several moments and watches as the boy tried to get back on his feet, using James' shoulder to push himself up, and he was only brought out of his stupor when Harry was again facing him, standing on his own two legs.  
  
James, Lily, Remus, and Sirius were horrified when Harry fell to the ground. After all they had seen so far, they had begun to think the black haired boy was invincible, but when the spell hit him, they all felt that not only his death, but theirs as well, were immanent. Much to their astonishment tough, he began to struggle to get back to his feet, and after a few failed attempts, he was successful and was once again facing Voldemort, his eyes blazing with hate.  
  
"Well, well, well, it appears as though you are not as strong as I was led to believe" said Voldemort through gritted teeth "I guess your only weakness is your own staff, how ironic. Enough of these games, it is time you died, Avadra Kedavra!" he yelled as he pointed the staff directly at Harry who made no move to avoid the flash of green  
  
"NO!" yelled Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus as one, but before the word had left their mouths, the spell hit Harry directly in his chest.  
  
What happened next stunned all present beyond words. The green light of the spell seemed to be absorbed by Harry, but he didn't fall over dead, like he was expected to, instead, he stretched out his hand again and the staff was ripped from Voldemort's grip and within an instant, was held in Harry's hand.  
  
"Wh.how.how is this possible?!" demanded Voldemort "You should be dead!"  
  
"Sorry, Tom, but like I said, I'm the boy who just won't die, but you will before you can cause any more damage" said Harry as he walked across the room until he was mere inches from Voldemort. He was about to raise the staff and dispose of Voldemort once and for all when the barriers he had erected around the spirit began to crumble away and his head was filled with agony and the pain quickly over took all of his senses as the future spirit of Voldemort cursed him for the third, and most painful time ever.  
  
'I will not let you destroy me so early in my rein of the wizarding world!' yelled the voice in his ears 'I will kill you first' he vowed  
  
Harry was dimly aware of the sound of several pops as the death eaters and their master vanished, but he was too wrapped up in his pain to do anything to stop them from doing so. He heard hurried footsteps run to his side and felt several pairs of hands on him and worried voices calling to him, but what they were saying, he didn't know and after what felt like an eternity of pain coursing through his veins, he fell into blessed unconsciousness on the floor of the building.  
  
Lily watched in horror as the green light of the killing curse struck Harry in the chest, and to her utter amazement, he didn't die, but instead, he seemed to become even stronger and a moment later, he had summoned his staff back into his hands and it looked as though he was about to kill Voldemort for good when he fell to the floor and curled up into a fetal position with one hand pressed hard to his forehead and his other arm gripping his stomach. His staff lodged protectively in the crook of his elbow. She had no idea what was going on, but she knew one thing for sure, Harry was in pain. She saw all of the death eaters and Voldemort disappear while they could, and once they were gone, she ran with James, Sirius, and Remus to his side.  
  
"Harry!" she yelled frantically as she tried to turn him onto his back  
  
"Harry, look at us!" demanded James "Come on, open your eyes"  
  
"What's wrong with him?" asked Sirius frantically as he looked to the others  
  
"I don't know. Come on Harry, snap out of it!" ordered Remus, but no matter what they tried, he continued to remain in his tight ball with his muscles clenched painfully tight and his eyes squeezed shut.  
  
"Harry, please! Open your eyes!" Lily yelled to no avail as she started to cry  
  
It was obvious that nothing they could say was going to help, so they were resigned to sit and watch in horror as whatever was cursing him continued until finally his hand fell away from his forehead and his body went limp.  
  
"He's unconscious, probably from pain" muttered James as he set back  
  
"What happened to him?" asked Lily  
  
"Who knows, but we better get him back to the castle as quick as possible. Moony, why don't you run up to the castle and get Madame Pomfrey, Dumbledore, and his godfather and tell them to come down here, I don't know if it is safe to move him" suggested James "Take the Honeydukes passage, it's quicker than going through town" and an instant later Remus was gone and they were left behind with the unconscious Harry, hoping that nothing was seriously wrong with him.  
  
Twenty minutes later, the door to the building burst opened and the three adults came running into the room and the older Sirius ran right to Harry while the mediwitch and headmaster approached the other three students.  
  
"James, Sirius, Lily, are you three all right?" asked Pomfrey  
  
"We're fine, see to Harry" said James forcefully and the nurse nodded and joined Sirius by Harry's side  
  
"What happened? Remus just said that death eaters captured you all and that Harry dueled with Voldemort and was hurt" asked the older Sirius  
  
"Well, we were in the Three Broomsticks and you-know-who came in, I guess he had used polyjuice so we thought he was Harry. We followed him here and the death eaters attacked us and tied us up and cast the cruciatus curse on James. A few minutes later Harry came in and fought about twenty five death eaters using only wandless magic. Then you-know-who sent the cruciatus curse at him from the staff and Harry couldn't deflect it and it hit him and when he got back up, he was hit with the killing curse, but nothing happened and then he summoned the staff and said something about killing you-know-who now before he hurt anyone else but before he could do anything something cursed him and he fell down again. He looked like he was under the cruciatus curse, but he never screamed and it was like he couldn't see us or hear us or anything and then he just passed out" explained Lily frantically without even taking a single breath.  
  
Upon hearing her words, Sirius just nodded his head in understanding, but Dumbledore and Pomfrey looked at her like she had lost her mind "Miss Evans, are you sure things happened like you say?" asked the headmaster skeptically  
  
"Of course I'm sure, you can ask Remus or Sirius or James, they all saw the same thing! Do you really think I would make something like this up?" she demanded  
  
"Now, now, Lily, calm down, or course I believe you, it just seems like a pretty far fetched story is all. I mean, how could someone use so much wandless magic or still be alive after being hit with the killing curse? It just doesn't make any sense" he said as he placed a calming hand on the flustered girls shoulder.  
  
"She's telling the truth, sir. Everything she said happened, did" said James in Lily's defense  
  
"But how is that possible? No one can survive the killing curse, Poppy?" he asked, looking to the mediwitch for confirmation  
  
"You're right, Albus, it's impossible. They must have thought the curse hit him and he dodged it" she said "He is very much alive, just unconscious" she added  
  
At her words, James, Lily, and the younger Sirius all jumped to they feet and started talking at once "We weren't imagining anything!" yelled Sirius  
  
"We know what we saw!" screamed Lily  
  
"This isn't the first time he's been hit with the killing curse!" yelled James without thinking and immediately the attention of the headmaster and the nurse turned to him  
  
"What did you say, James?" asked Dumbledore, but it was Harry's godfather who answered from the floor  
  
"He said that this wasn't the first time Harry has been hit by the killing curse and he's right" he said as he looked to the old man standing above him  
  
"What?" was all Dumbledore managed to say as his eyes widened in shock  
  
"Harry was hit with the killing curse when he was a year old and it was reflected off of him onto the caster, nearly killing the wizard. He was also hit with it several times during a three month period when he was held as a prisoner by you-know-who, but it never killed him, just weakened him quite a bit" he explained  
  
"What? How is it that a seventeen year old boy has managed to face Voldemort on what, three occasions now? And survive?" asked Dumbledore  
  
"Actually, Harry has faced off against you-know-who in person six times, and even now he is fighting his influence" said Sirius quietly "Now, please don't ask me anymore questions about Harry or his past, because I can't tell you anything else, but please help us find who we are looking for so Harry can live a normal life for the first time ever" he pleaded and when they saw the confused faces of the professor and the nurse, James and Lily gave them a quick description of the girl they were looking for.  
  
"I don't know why, but I trust you both and I will do whatever I can to help you find this girl" said the headmaster with a smile  
  
"Thank you, sir" said Sirius sincerely and just then, Harry opened his eyes and looked frantically around the room, relaxing only when he saw that everyone was ok and that his staff was in his possession once again "How are you feeling, Harry?" asked Sirius as he helped his godson sit up  
  
"Could be better" he said with a grimace as his muscles protested the movement  
  
"What happened?" he asked quietly, trying not to be overheard, but he was unsuccessful  
  
"He's stronger, I strengthened the barriers when I realized I was coming to meet Voldemort, but they fell and he was able to curse me. He's weak again now, but it won't be long before he saves up enough energy to curse me again, and if it is any stronger than it was today, I don't know if I can keep control" admitted Harry with a worried expression on his face  
  
"Well, don't worry about that now, we'll figure everything out later, after you rest up a bit, and why don't you fix your arm" he suggested and Harry looked to his left arm which was steadily bleeding from his dark mark.  
  
"Oh, I didn't even feel it" muttered Harry as he took his staff in his hand and waved it over his arm and an instant later the open wound was healed completely, much to the amazement of the mediwitch, but she decided to keep quiet.  
  
"Are you ok to walk back to the castle?" asked Sirius  
  
"Yeah, I think so" answered Harry as he got to his feet "Yeah, I can make it"  
  
"Good, we had better get going before your friends decide to come back" said Sirius and the pair led the other five from the room in silence and they made their way back to the castle.  
  
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A/N: I am so sorry, I know I said this would be up like a week ago, but work has been insane, I have worked every single day (including Christmas and Christmas Eve) for the past two weeks, and over 10 hours a day, so my life at home has only included eating and sleeping, I haven't even checked my e-mail for over a week, but don't worry, I have managed to write two more chapters, all I have to do is to type them and then I'll post. Another reason as to why this took so long, I work for a veterinarian and I got bit really bad by a VERY mean cat so it hurt to type for a while, but almost all better now! I hope you enjoy this one, and don't worry, Harry and Ginny will be back together in either the next chapter, or the one after that, I haven't decided where to end the next one at yet. Please review and let me know what you thought of this, and Merry Christmas a couple days late and Happy New Year a couple days early! Please review! 


	47. Arguments and Promises

Chapter 47  
  
Sirius and Harry walked side by side at the end of the group, far enough back that they couldn't be overheard by either the adults or the other students.  
  
"Sirius, it's not safe for us to stay at the castle anymore, Voldemort wants the staff back and as long as we stay here, we're putting everyone at risk" said Harry in an emotionless voice as he continued to look straight ahead.  
  
"I know, but we need to find his daughter, Harry, without her help, he wins" said Sirius in desperation  
  
"Sirius, I'm beginning to think that she doesn't exist, I mean, we've been here nearly a month now and we still are no closer to finding her than when we started" said Harry "I just want to go back home and spend as much time with Ginny as I can before it's too late" he said quietly without looking at his godfather  
  
"Harry, we have to find her in order for you to ever lead a normal life, and so that the wizarding world will be free of him once and for all" said Sirius forcefully and Harry stopped abruptly and turned to face him with an angry expression on his face.  
  
"Sirius, I'm tired of worrying about the rest of the world. I have been doing nothing but that since I was eleven years old and for once, I would like to worry only about myself and be with Ginny. Because of Voldemort, we've been apart longer than we've been together it seems like, and I just want this all to be over with. I'm sick and tired of Voldemort ruining my life, and I'm tired of everyone I care about being put at risk just for knowing me. So far, my parents have died to protect me, and Cedric died just because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and he wasn't needed, and even now, he's using my teenage parents and their friends to get to me, and as soon as he was through with me today, he would have killed them all just because they weren't needed by him anymore. I'm tired of this, I just want to be normal and not have that megalomaniacs voice in my head trying to take control of me. I want to go home and live a normal life already" he said, almost becoming hysteric and clenching his fists in frustration.  
  
"Harry, I know you have been through a lot, but you need to calm down" said Sirius gently and he was shocked to see raw anger flash through Harry's eyes before he spoke again in a level and harsh voice that Sirius had only heard him direct toward Voldemort, and he being on the receiving end chilled him to the bones.  
  
"You think I've been through a lot, Sirius? Yeah, I have been through more than most people have and I'm tired of it. I was raised by people who called my a freak for my entire life just because I was a wizard, and I have had a murdering, psychotic wizard after my blood since the day I was born, I hear my parents last words anytime a dementor gets too close to me, dying just to protect me, I had to watch as a friend and classmate was murdered, I have had the cruciatus curse cast on me more than anyone else has been able to survive from, I was kept prisoner by a group of crazed dark wizards for three months and tortured in ways that would make you sick to find out about, and now I have his mark burnt into my arm, and if the wizarding world found out about that, they would turn on me faster than you could imagine, like they did when they figured out I was a parselmouth. And to top it all off, now I'm forced to constantly battle with Voldemort just so that I can keep control of myself so that I don't end up killing everyone, and if that's not enough, when I finally find someone who truly cares about me and not just my scar, I get taken away from her and can't even write letters to her, so yeah Sirius, I'd say that I have been through a lot.  
  
I only ask that you leave me alone to live out whatever I have left of my life in peace, and whenever Voldemort does finally take control of me, I hope you will be strong enough to do what is right and kill me before he has the opportunity to do the same to you" said Harry and before Sirius could even think of a fitting response or comprehend just what Harry had said, the black haired boy had spun around and with a pop, transformed into a raven and spread his wings and took off into the forbidden forest, disappearing into the tree tops above him.  
  
"What in Merlin's name just happened here?" he asked himself as he gazed at the spot Harry had just occupied  
  
"I would say that your godson has finally released some of the anger he has been holding in for far too long, and it is a good thing that he did so" said a gentle voice from behind Sirius, and the man looked over his shoulder to see Dumbledore standing there with a grim smile on his aged face "Mr. Black, I presume?" he asked  
  
"Yes, sir" replied Sirius sheepishly  
  
"And do you mind if I ask about the true identity of your young companion?" he asked as he indicated in the direction that Harry had fled.  
  
"He is my godson, but his parents were Lily Evans and James Potter" said Sirius with a sad smile "If you don't mind, sir, could you tell me just how much you heard of all of that?" asked Sirius  
  
"Well, I missed the first part of your conversation, but I couldn't help but hear Harry's speech about his life thus far" answered the old man "I think I need you to answer a few questions for me" he added  
  
"I would imagine so. Where do you want me to begin?" he asked as he shoved his hands into his robe pockets  
  
"Well, the beginning is always a good place to start" said Dumbledore  
  
"Very well, but I'm going to tell you now, Harry will put a memory charm on you before we leave, some of the things that have happened in our past and your future can not be altered at any cost" said Sirius  
  
"I understand and would expect no less"  
  
"Well, like we told you originally, Harry's parents were killed when he was a baby by you-know-who, but when he turned his wand on Harry, the killing curse bounced off of him and hit you-know-who instead and separated his spirit from his body, making him completely weak and unable to perform any magic or even survive on his own for ten years, until Harry's first year at Hogwarts" he began and continued to recount Harry's first five years at the school, leaving nothing out, including his own part in Harry's third year and the betrayal of Peter Pettigrew "At the end of last year, on March fourth, you-know-who attacked the castle. Harry was out on the grounds with Ginny and saw and felt them coming, through his scar, and he told Ginny to hide in the forest. She tried to get him to hide with her, and two of his friends even brought him a portkey that would bring him to Remus and myself who were in the village, but he wouldn't leave.  
  
He knew he had to face you-know-who, and I don't think he thought he would survive the encounter, but he did somehow. At one point, four death eaters and their master all had the cruciatus curse on Harry, but he survived that and went on to dual with Voldemort, but he was knocked out by a banishing charm. The death eaters found Ginny and were about to kill her and another boy, but Harry stopped them, and was hit by the killing curse, but at the same time, he somehow managed to transport all the dementors and death eaters as well as himself and you-know-who away from the grounds.  
  
We searched everywhere for him for three months, but we never found him and the ministry had declared him as a casualty of war, but there were a few of us who wouldn't give up, yourself included. About two weeks after the memorial service, you found an article in a muggle newspaper about a boy matching Harry's description turning up in a muggle hospital, and sure enough, it was him, but he was barely recognizable because the sheer number and severity of injuries. We brought him back to the castle to be healed, but he wouldn't let anyone with a wand near him and his body rejected all spells and potions when he was asleep, so he was forced to heal the muggle way. He didn't say a word for nearly four months, and he acted as though we weren't even there, but slowly he came around and got back to normal, with Ginny's help. But around Christmas, he told us that Voldemort's spirit was inside of him, trying to gain control of him and his powers, and the only way to destroy him once and for all is find a relative of Harry and a relative of Voldemort to make a potion and cast a spell, or for Harry to die a natural death with no human intervention.  
  
You and I are both related distantly to Harry, but Voldemort has no living relatives in our time. However, he does have a daughter that is the same age as we were, but he killed her after she graduated. We don't know who this girl is, and even she has no idea about her true heritage, but we have to find her and bring her back with us to help destroy him, or the wizarding world is doomed. You have never seen the extent of Harry's powers, but I will tell you this, they are extreme.  
  
He has the ability to transform into any animagus he desires, including magical creatures, and he is able to do a vast amount of wandless magic without ever losing strength, he even dueled with the head auror of our time, and defeated him, using only wandless magic, and that was before he powers came into full strength, and I don't have to tell you what would happen if you-know-who got control of such power. But now, Harry is willing to give up on the search, he just wants to go home, and I don't blame him in the least, but if we don't find this girl, then there is no way he will last more that a year at the most, I'm certain of it. Do you have any ideas about how to find her?" he asked hopefully  
  
"Well, I may know of a spell that can help, but I need to look into it a little more before we attempt to cast it. Why don't we go on into the castle and eat some dinner. I'm sure Harry will come back when he has had a chance to calm down and gather his thoughts. What he has been through is more that anyone should have to see, and he is still only a child. He has been forced to grow up far too fast, by the sounds of things. I'm sure he will come to his senses in a little while, we just have to be patient" said the old man gently  
  
"I know, you're right, he'll come around, he always does, and until he does, I will just stay out of his way and I would advise you to do the same. We have both been on the receiving end of his anger before, and I have no desire to repeat that experience" said Sirius ruefully as the pair walked into the castle and into the great hall, the entire time being watched by a raven who was perched in a tree beside the lake, who had heard every word they had said.  
  
'I really shouldn't have acted that way' Harry thought grimly to himself as he watched the two men walk away  
  
'Perhaps not, but he deserved to hear the truth. You don't deserve pity from him or anyone else. All you have ever caused is death and pain, you deserve everything you have been through, and you don't deserve anything good to happen to you' said Voldemort in his head, and for once, Harry didn't argue  
  
'I am well aware of that you know' he thought darkly 'I don't deserve any happiness because of everything I have caused. If it weren't for me, my mother would never have died, Cedric would still be alive, everyone I have gotten close to here and at home would be safe, James would never have been put under the cruciatus curse today, Remus and Sirius would be able to go on and live their lives without having to worry about me, but most of all, Ginny would be able to fall in love with someone who didn't put her life in constant danger. For once, you're right' he thought darkly.  
  
Voldemort chuckled 'I have told you before, Harry, you and I are more alike than you could ever know, but at least you are beginning to see the truth, perhaps now you will not be so resistant to fulfill your destiny'  
  
Harry didn't bother to respond, instead, he spread his wings and took off into the air to think, and he only returned to the castle at breakfast the next morning.  
  
When Harry entered the great hall, it was already filled with students, the majority of whom cowered away from his menacing form. His face was set in a determined, but angry line and his stride was long and every other step his staff struck the ground with a loud click. He walked all the way to the head table, ignoring the curious looks sent to him by the marauders and Lily, and took his seat next to Sirius who looked relieved and anxious.  
  
"Where in the hell have you been?" he demanded in a harsh whisper once Harry had taken his seat  
  
"I don't think that that concerns you, Sirius, I think I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself" he answered in a cold and heartless tone without meeting the ex-convicts eyes.  
  
"You may be the most powerful wizard alive, Harry, but I am still your guardian, and it is my job to look out for you" answered the older man  
  
"It's a nice thought, Sirius, but I spent the first thirteen years of my life not even knowing you existed, and the next three with you in hiding. Now that I'm seventeen years old, you're there to look out for me, but I don't need you anymore" said the younger boy harshly still without meeting the shocked gaze of his godfather  
  
"Wh.what are you saying, Harry?" he finally managed to stutter out  
  
"You heard me, Sirius, last night, I did a lot of thinking and I've come to a decision; as soon as we get back, I'm going to leave all of this behind and lead a normal life for as long as I can, and none of you had better try to find me, because you won't be able to" he said, finally looking toward Sirius, and the ex-convict saw determination and resolve burning in the green eyes.  
  
"Harry, you can't leave, this is your home, and we are your family, why on earth would you even think about leaving everything and everyone who has ever cared for you behind?" he finally asked in confusion  
  
"Because, the wizarding world has never caused me anything but pain and suffering, and I'm tired of it" he said bluntly  
  
"Harry, do you realize what would happen if you left, how devastated everyone would be? Not to mention what the rest of the wizarding world would think" he asked  
  
"Personally, Sirius, I don't give a damn about anyone else anymore. For once, I want to think about myself and my feelings" he answered in the same steely tone he had been using during the entire conversation  
  
"Harry, you can't be serious, what would make you think like this? Why would you suddenly decide to leave your life behind?" asked Sirius with his brow furrowed  
  
"I've already told you the answer to that question, Sirius, just accept it. I need to go to class" he said as he stood  
  
"Harry, what about your friends, what about Ginny?" he asked as a last resort, and upon hearing his girlfriends name spoken, a pained expression crossed Harry's face before it was fixed in stone again.  
  
"I don't deserve any of them, least of all Ginny" he said quietly as he left the table and Sirius behind.  
  
The last little bit of the term passed quickly, and not once did that particular topic of conversation come up again. The headmaster called Harry to his office early in the week and told him of a spell that could be cast that would identify the girl they were looking for, and Harry immediately set to work casting it in a less populated, but still frequently used corridor of the school. It was a spell that would in essence, read the magical signatures of those who passed through, and once it matched the signature to the one they were looking for, the spell would take the person into the future so that the spell and potion could be made and cast to destroy Voldemort for good. All he had to do, was to use his staff to focus on the magical signature of the spirit inside of him, and key the spell to recognize it, and anyone who matched it would be brought directly to the future Hogwarts. Harry was secretly impressed by the spell, and wished that they had told the headmaster the truth as soon as they had arrived, it would have saved them a lot of time and energy.  
  
Harry never again spoke to the marauders or Lily, and spent all of his time either working on the spell, or sitting in his room, preferring not to see those who would later be killed by protecting him, and he kept almost silent around his godfather as well, as his thoughts and emotions raged inside of him, Voldemort's thoughts and feelings more pronounced than ever before during his depressed state.  
  
On the one hand, he knew that what Voldemort was saying was not true, and that he was not responsible for the deaths of anyone, and that he didn't deserve everything that had happened to him throughout the years. But, that side was steadily loosing to the other side, the side that believed that he was the sole cause of all the deaths and all of the suffering, and that he deserved everything he had received. This was the side that wanted to leave the wizarding world behind forever, not only to be rid of all the misery, but also to protect those he cared about. This was the side that Voldemort was influencing, and this was the side that was wining more and more as the days went on.  
  
When the last day of term arrived, Harry and Sirius went to the headmasters' office to meet the remaining three marauders and Lily to obliterate their memories of them. They walked to the office in silence, and when they reached it, Harry walked briskly in and faced the four teens with a closed expression.  
  
"Harry" began James, but before he could say anything more, Harry had directed his staff to the four and there was a quick flash of pale blue light, and when it was gone, all four had blank, but blissful expressions on their faces.  
  
"James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, you may all go down to the coaches, have a pleasant summer" said the headmaster, and without another word, the four left the office "Harry, how strong was that memory charm?" he asked once they were gone  
  
"They will only remember that we were here, but they won't remember anything of what happened, or anything specific about either one of us unless they see us again or hear about the events that have happened here involving the two of us, which won't happen since we will be returning home in just two months" he said crisply before he too left the office, leaving Sirius and Dumbledore behind.  
  
"What happened to him?" asked the older man once Harry was gone "Before the incident in the village he was kind and happy, but since then he is so closed off, I was sure he would have returned to normal by now"  
  
"I know, but I have no idea what's going on, he told me a couple weeks ago that once everything is finally over, he's going to leave the wizarding world and all of his friends behind. That is just so unlike him, he has no living family other that his aunt and uncle who hate him, the only people who have ever cared about him are at Hogwarts, I just don't see why he would want to leave all of that behind" said Sirius wearily as he collapsed into a chair "He won't even talk to me anymore, and when I asked him about how his friends would feel if he left, he said that he didn't deserve them, I just don't know what to do anymore. He's been through so much already, and I'm afraid we will never be able to cast the spell to kill you-know-who for good, and that I've already lost Harry because of it" he admitted in a low voice  
  
"Sirius, I may not know Harry too well, but what I have seen so far leads me to believe that he is still full of surprises. He may talk like this now, but I have a feeling that when you two return to your own time that things will return to normal again, you just need to be patient and trust Harry to make the right decisions" he said gently as he laid a reassuring hand on the younger mans shoulder "You just have to be there for him when he is ready to talk about it"  
  
"Thank you, sir, I had better get back to the room to see if he is willing to speak to me" said Sirius with a forced smile as he left the office  
  
Harry was regretting not having a few last words with his parents since he knew that it wasn't likely that he would ever get the chance again, but he also knew that he would have broken down completely if he had been forced to say goodbye to them, so he did the only thing he could think of, he cast the spell before the threat of losing control was made a reality. His parents were dead, and he must remember that, they were never coming back and no matter what anyone said, if it weren't for him, his mother at least would still be alive. After he left the headmasters office, he went to the corridor where he had been working and began to refine the spell to make it more specific so that there was no risk of it bringing the wrong person to the future. He worked for three hours straight before he went to the kitchens to get a quick lunch, which the house elves were more than happy to provide. When he was done eating, he went outside and transformed into horse and went galloping through the forest as fast as his hooves would carry him, returning to the castle long after the sun had set and walking to his room in exhaustion, not saying a word to Sirius when he entered.  
  
The next two weeks passed in the same fashion, with Harry avoiding Sirius at all costs by heading into the forest as soon as he finished working on the spell and remaining there late into the night, and before they knew it, it was June 30.  
  
"Harry, would you like to go to the great hall for dinner with me?" asked Sirius as the black haired boy entered the living room from the hallway beyond close to midnight.  
  
"No" was the response he received as Harry walked into his bedroom and closed the door roughly  
  
"What am I going to do with him?" muttered Sirius to himself as he left the room with a shake of his head.  
  
Harry walked over and sat down on his bed with a heavy sigh, and Terres and Sherlock promptly came to meet him.  
  
'What is wrong, Harry?' hissed Sherlock 'You have not been acting like yourself for several weeks now, you barely even talk to us anymore and you never answer our questions'  
  
'Yes, my child, something is bothering you and you are hurting your godfather by not talking to him about it' said Terres gently  
  
'I know, but it's for his own good' said Harry and both creatures gave him curious looks, so he elaborated 'A few weeks before the death eaters set the trap for me, I saw something in divination that I don't want to see actually happen' he said  
  
'What did you see?' asked Terres as she settled down on his shoulder  
  
'I saw myself torturing Ginny' he said simply 'I know if I try to stay close to her and everyone else that Voldemort will kill them the instant he gets control of me again, and I can't bear to see that happen. It's better for everyone if I just keep away from them, everyone I am close to is in danger of being killed and it's all my fault' he said wearily.  
  
'That may be how you feel now, Harry, but you know that that is not the truth' said Sherlock  
  
'Yes it is, because of me, three people have died, four were captured and would have been killed, and Draco and Ginny were almost killed during the battle, and the dementors nearly got a hold of Ron and Hermione. I couldn't bear it if anyone else were put into danger just because I was close to them' he said angrily as he hit his fist onto the hard wood of his nightstand.  
  
'Harry, listen to yourself, all of your friends, Ginny, Sirius, and everyone else know what a risk it is to be close to you and they have been willing to take on that risk. Let them make their own decisions as to whether or not to stand by you, don't try to alienate yourself from them because you think it is for the best. You can't do this on your own, you need the support of your friends and family' said Terres in a firm voice  
  
'Don't you see though, I don't know how much longer I will be able to hold Voldemort off, and the instant he takes control, he will not hesitate to kill whoever I am around, and I don't want that to be anyone I care for, especially not Ginny' said Harry, nearly becoming hysterical  
  
'Calm down my child' said Terres in a soothing tone 'Why don't you talk to Sirius and tell him how you feel, he might be able to help' she suggested  
  
'Fine, but only because I'm tired of arguing with a snake and a phoenix' he said angrily as he stormed from the room, startling Sirius who had returned from dinner and was drinking a cup of tea "We need to talk" he said bluntly as he sat on the couch, and Sirius hesitantly took a seat next to him.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked the older man after several silent moments had passed  
  
"I need you to make me a promise" began Harry "This is very important, and I expect you to keep your word, no matter what happens"  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Sirius, genuinely confused  
  
"Ok, how about this, I'll tell you why I haven't been acting like myself if, at the end, you promise me something" said Harry  
  
"Fine, deal" said Sirius as he settled back into the couch and regained some of his nerve "Why in Merlin's name have you been acting like an insolent, spoiled child for so long?"  
  
Harry sighed heavily before he began his tale, starting first with what he had seen in divination before he told Sirius just what he had just told Terres and Sherlock "Do you understand?" he asked as he finished his tale  
  
"No, why would you think that if you distanced yourself from us that we would give up on you? We care about you, Harry, all of us and no matter what danger that puts us in, we will never turn our backs on you" said Sirius  
  
"But, Sirius, what if I end up hurting you, or worse?" asked Harry  
  
"Harry, I know that you would never hurt me, and everyone else knows that too. If something did happen, it wouldn't be you who was hurting us, it would be Voldemort" he said with conviction  
  
"Maybe, but Sirius, I see everything he does, and he would be using my powers and my body to do it, so in essence, it would be me who was hurting you" said Harry quietly as he looked at the ground  
  
"Harry, why are we even talking about this? You finished the spell a week ago and it's only a matter of days once term starts again before his daughter is brought to us and we can put this entire ordeal behind us and you would be able to concentrate on living your life, lets not worry about this now" said Sirius with a reassuring smile  
  
"You don't get it, Sirius, I have to worry about this because in all actuality, it could happen and I need to make sure that all of you will be safe" said Harry as he once again met his godfathers eyes  
  
"How will you be able to do that, Harry? If he does manage to take control there is nothing you or the rest of us can do to stop him" said Sirius  
  
"Yes there is" said Harry quietly "I need you to promise me something" he said for the third time that night  
  
"What do I need to say to make you believe me?" asked Sirius, and a moment later, he regretted it  
  
"Sirius, promise me that if Voldemort takes control again, that you will kill him" said Harry in a level tone  
  
"What!?" sputtered Sirius  
  
"You heard me, if he takes control again, kill him" said Harry again  
  
"How could we kill him without killing you too?" asked Sirius, but he could tell by Harry's eyes what the answer would be  
  
"You can't" he said quietly "If he takes control again, the only way to defeat him is to kill me while my body is weak from the switch. I will be able to use a very strong binding spell to keep his spirit locked inside of me until the spell can be performed, but the only way to stop him from causing any damage is to kill me. I know what you're thinking, that the killing curse won't work on me, but it will, all you have to do is have several people cast it back to back and it will work, especially if he has just taken control, he will be weak and so will my bodies defenses. His spirit will be trapped then, but only for about a week, and he won't be able to do any damage and it will give you time to cast the spell, all you have to do is cast it within seven days for him to be gone for good" he said in almost a frantic way, and before Sirius could say anything, he continued "Please promise me, Sirius, please don't let me hurt any of you" he pleaded  
  
"Harry, how can you ask me to do this?" asked Sirius finally "I could never kill you, and I know no one else could either. We love you, Harry, you're our family" he said quietly  
  
"Please, Sirius, it's the only way you will all be safe" said Harry again "Please promise me that you won't let me hurt anyone" he said again, becoming more and more desperate with each passing second.  
  
"Harry, I can't promise you something like this" said Sirius with tears stinging his eyes  
  
"Fine" said Harry with a cold edge returning to his voice "I have never asked anything of you, I just want your help with this one thing, but I guess you're not strong enough to take fate into your own hands. This is the only way the wizarding world will survive, and you are willing to let it fall, and it will fall by your hands. You have the power to stop this once and for all, but you're too weak to take it" he said as he got to his feet and walked back toward his own room, leaving Sirius sitting on the couch, but before he had touched the door, a soft voice reached his ears.  
  
"All right, I promise" said Sirius heavily with his head bowed and Harry let a relieved sigh escape his lips before he spoke again.  
  
"Thank you" he said in an equally quiet tone before entering his room to go to bed, anxious about seeing Ginny again in just a few more weeks, and knowing that as long as Sirius kept his promise, she would be safe.  
  
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A/N: Sorry if this chapter seems a little rushed or depressing, I know there are A LOT of unresolved issues here, but they will be addressed in the next several chapters. I know that it has been a couple days in the waiting, but I am going to make it up to you by posting another chapter tonight, but after that, it will be a couple more days. I am transferring to a new college for the spring semester, and I have orientation next week and I have to move into my new house so I won't have much of an opportunity to write, but once school starts again and I find a job up there, things will settle down and I will be back to my old schedule and be able to write and post more often, especially since I will be able to get on the internet more than once every couple of days. Well I hope you enjoyed this one, and please review it and the next one! Happy new year, who else can't believe that it is 2003? 


	48. Reunited

Chapter 48  
  
The morning of September the first arrived in a mass of rain clouds. Ginny had arrived at the platform of the Hogwarts Express with only minutes to spare, and was currently using her wand to try and dry her long hair and soaked clothes. She had been on the train for only twenty minutes when the door to her compartment opened and a smiling Colin walked in.  
  
"Hullo Ginny, how was your summer?" he asked as he took the seat opposite hers  
  
"Long, yours?" she asked politely  
  
"Great! Dennis and I got tickets and went and watched the World Cup" he said with a broad smile on his face, but it was replaced by a frown when she didn't share his enthusiasm "What's wrong, Ginny?" he asked  
  
"Nothing" she said quickly, not wanting to get into a discussion about Harry with Colin  
  
"Ok, but if you want to talk, I'll listen" he said before changing the subject "So, is it true that your brother, Draco Malfoy, and Hermione will be at the castle again this year?" he asked  
  
"Yeah, Hermione is already there, she's going to be helping in Charms lessons, but Ron and Draco won't be coming until next week, Sirius is going to help them start their Auror training so they can apply to the academy in a year" she said, a smile coming to her face as she thought the three of them being at the castle with her again.  
  
"Great, when will Professor Black be getting back?" he asked  
  
"The headmaster said he would be here by the time the feast starts" said Ginny, and her chest tightened slightly at the thought of seeing Harry again in just a few more hours as well.  
  
"Well, I had better get going, I need to find all of the prefects and have a meeting with them" said Colin several minutes later as he got to his feet  
  
"All right, bye Colin, and congratulations on being made head boy" said Ginny as he left and she again turned her attention to the passing countryside, which was getting steadily darker as the storm raged on.  
  
Several hours later, Ginny was jolted awake by the sound of the brakes on the train grinding to a halt, and she was startled when she looked outside and saw the familiar sight of the Hogesmede station coming into view. She jumped to her feet and pulled her school robes over her head before hastily tying her hair back in a ponytail and following the rest of the students form the train and into the carriages. The rain had finally let up, but the trail was muddy and more than one student ended up slipping and falling on the way to the carriages. Ginny jumped into one with a trio of first year girls and settled down for the journey to the castle. Due to the increase in security, the traditional boat ride for the first year students did not take place, instead, they were kept near the older and more experienced students who could help to protect them if the need arose.  
  
"Hi, I'm Sara and this is my sister Taren, and this is our friend Christine" said one of the girls, a pretty brunette with blue eyes as she pointed to a girl who looked exactly like her and one with black hair and light brown eyes.  
  
"Nice to meet you all, I'm Ginny Weasley" she said as she shook all of their hands politely  
  
"Are you really!?" exclaimed Taren in amazement, and Ginny was terribly confused by her outburst  
  
"Yes, why do you ask?" she asked hesitantly  
  
"Well, aren't you Harry Potters girlfriend?" asked Christine  
  
"Oh, yes I am" said Ginny with a shy smile, she was used to people acting like this toward Harry, but the attention had never been turned on her before and it was kind of nice.  
  
"Wow, I can't believe we actually got to meet you" said Sara in awe "Our brother, Josh, is a sixth year in Ravenclaw and he told us all about the battle at the school a couple of years ago" she explained  
  
"Oh" said Ginny as a flood of bad memories began to surface about the battle and the many months following it "So what house do you all want to be in?" she asked, trying to change the subject  
  
"Gryffindor or Ravenclaw" chimed the three girls in unison, and they spent the rest of the journey describing just why they wanted to be in either of those houses and before they knew it, they had arrived at the castle.  
  
Ginny said goodbye to the three girls as she entered the entrance hall and they went in the direction that Professor McGonagall was directing them and she made her way toward the great hall. When she walked through the great wooden doors, her eyes immediately darted around the entire room, searching for a familiar head of black hair, but she was disappointed not to see one, and she felt a hand rest lightly on her shoulder. She spun around, hoping it was Harry, but her eyes instead fell onto Colin and Dennis who were standing behind her, and it was Colin who was gripping her shoulder.  
  
"Don't worry, Ginny, he'll be here" he said in a reassuring voice as he led her to the Gryffindor table where they both took their seats at the end closest to the head table.  
  
The sorting began soon after they had taken their seats, and to Ginny's pleasure, the three girls she had been speaking to in the carriage all ended up in Gryffindor, but by the end of the ceremony, Harry and Sirius still had not shown up, even though there were two empty seats for them at the head table between Remus and Hermione.  
  
"Where is he?" asked Ginny under her breath as Dumbledore stood and began making his traditional start of term speech before the food appeared on the table and the great hall filled with excited chatter.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
When Harry and Sirius finally put the time turner around their necks, after Harry modified the headmasters' memory the same way he had done the marauders, they were transported to the edge of the village, and Harry promptly slipped and fell face first in the thick mud, and Terres flew from his shoulder to seek safety from the flying filth and Sherlock hissed indignantly. Sirius burst out laughing at him before Harry sent him a death glare and he shut up immediately before helping Harry back to his feet, but as soon as he was standing, Sirius burst out laughing once again.  
  
"I don't think that this is very funny, Sirius" Harry growled as they began to walk through the deserted village and he tried in vain to wipe the mud from his robes, thankful that he was wearing his black cloak instead of the one Ginny had given him.  
  
"You have no idea just how funny it is" said Sirius "He who is the most powerful wizard in the world, defeater of Voldemort, not once, but twice, falls face first in the mud" he said around barley repressed laughter  
  
"Oh, shut up" said Harry as he began to walk ahead of his still laughing godfather  
  
Sirius jogged to catch up with him before looking around the quiet village "Where is everybody? This place is usually bustling with people and it's only seven o'clock" mused Sirius  
  
"I don't know, but it is awfully quiet" said Harry "come on, let's get up to the castle, the feast has probably already started" he said as he noticed the train sitting on the tracks with elves unloading the trunks and other luggage  
  
They walked quickly up to the castle, and sure enough, when they entered the entrance hall they could hear the sorting hat singing its song. Harry started to walk toward the feast, but Sirius grabbed a hold of his robes to stop him "Harry, I think you had better go get cleaned up before you go eat dinner" he said and Harry looked down to see mud beginning to cake as it dried on his black robes  
  
"Good idea" he said, but his attention was on the red headed girl he knew was only a few meters away from him. He grudgingly followed Sirius up the stairs and to their room where they were greeted heartedly by the painting before he allowed them to enter. Harry walked immediately to his room, pulled his trunk from his pocket and enlarged it before kneeling down before it and pulling out clean robes and his scarlet cloak. He then used his staff to cast cleaning charms on his hair and body to rid it of mud before changing into his clean clothing and stepping to the mirror to pull his hair back into a ponytail. When he had finished and was about to walk out of the room, his eyes fell onto a pile of letters sitting on his dust covered desk. Curious, he walked over to it. What he saw made his heart swell with happiness, there on his desk were literally tons of letters, some in Hermione's neat hand, some in Ron's messy, and even some from Draco, but the vast majority of them were from Ginny. There were even several packages sitting amongst the pile, undoubtedly from his birthday, which he had nearly ignored in his impatience to return home, even though Sirius had given him a cake and several gifts, including new robes and quidditch gear. He was just about to sit down and open the letters when he heard a knock at his door and Sirius walked it.  
  
"Harry, are you ready yet?" he asked  
  
"Yeah" said Harry as he joined the older man and they both left the room and began to walk down the long hallway "Sirius, what am I going to tell Ginny?" Harry finally asked  
  
"About what?" asked Sirius  
  
"About where I have been and why I didn't answer her letters" he said heavily "Can I tell her the truth, that we were in the past looking for Voldemort's now dead daughter?" he asked hesitantly  
  
"I'm afraid not Harry, at least not until this is all behind us, if anyone knew that he had a daughter, not only her, but you would be in danger, as well as anyone else who knows where we have been or what we were doing, I'm sorry" he said with a frown  
  
"I guess you're right" said Harry, returning the frown, and by that time, they had reached the doors leading into the great hall and they could hear the headmaster giving the welcoming speech coming from beyond them "Well, here goes nothing" said Harry as he pushed the doors opened.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
When he opened the doors to the Great Hall, all the hushed conversations within stopped as well as the headmasters' speech and all eyes turned to look at him and Sirius and a pleased smile broke across Dumbledore's face.  
  
"Welcome back, Mr. Potter, Professor Black" he said kindly "Students, for those of you who don't know them, I would like to introduce you to Mr. Harry Potter who will be helping with Defense Against the Dark Arts and heading up the new Dueling club" he began, and Harry looked to him in shock when he heard his new responsibilities "And Professor Sirius Black who will be teaching the upper level Defense classes and helping Harry out. Both have been away for the castle for quite some time on a mission for me, and I would like you all to welcome them home" he finished and a polite applause rang throughout the hall as Harry and Sirius both quickly made their way to the head table.  
  
The entire time he was walking, though, Harry was looking for one particular person, and as they reached the end of the Gryffindor table he saw her, and Ginny was looking right back at him. It took every ounce of will power he possessed not to run up to her right then and take her in his arms, but he knew that the headmaster would not approve of such a display, especially since Harry was no longer a student, but he couldn't resist sending her a wide smile which she returned hesitantly. Harry followed Sirius to the head table and took a seat between him and Hermione who gave him a quick hug in greeting.  
  
"Oh, Harry, I'm so glad you're back" she said happily "You have no idea how worried we have all been about you, especially Ginny, what, with all the death eater attacks and everything" she said, and Harry looked to her in horror, as did Sirius  
  
"What? Death eater attacks?" he asked finally  
  
"You didn't know? Where have you been, a cave?" asked Hermione in shock  
  
"No, but we've kind of been cut off from the news" said Harry "Now what are you talking about, what death eater attacks?" he asked again  
  
"Yeah, since you left, all the death eaters who were not captured have joined together to search for you-know-who. The attacks are almost constant and everyone is really scared, it's worse than it was after fourth year, especially since no one knows who they are and they never leave any clues behind" she said quietly  
  
"You say that they are looking for their master?" asked Harry hesitantly "Do they have any idea about the truth?" he whispered  
  
"I don't think so, but they do know that he is still alive, they felt the mark burn right before you left, and they know the summons was coming from Hogwarts" she answered back, just as quietly "There are also rumors going around that they are after you for revenge" she said with her head bowed  
  
"Great, just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, they do" muttered Harry under his breath "Well, we'll talk about this later, how has everything else been going?" he asked  
  
"Well, Ron and Draco will be here next week, if Sirius is still willing to help them, and I am going to be helping with charms lessons for the younger years" she said with a smile  
  
"Great! Congratulations, Hermione" said Harry as he gave her another hug  
  
"And, Ginny has been really anxious about seeing you" she whispered into his ear and his face broke into another smile as he looked down on his girlfriend  
  
"Me too, I can't wait until dinner is over" he said as he watched her talk to her friends, occasionally shooting him a worried glance  
  
Dinner seemed to stretch on for longer that Harry could ever remember, but finally, it was over and the headmaster dismissed all the students to their common rooms and Harry bolted from the head table just as Ginny did the same from her seat and they met in the middle of the hall where they just stood and looked at each other with barley a meter in between them before she ran into his arms and threw her own around his neck.  
  
"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry!" she sobbed into his chest "Really, nothing happened, we just fell asleep, I was depressed and Colin was the only one there to talk to and we just fell asleep" she cried without taking a breath  
  
"Shh, I know Ginny, I know, I should be the one apologizing for acting like such a bloody idiot" said Harry into her hair as he rubbed her back and at his words, her teary eyes looked into his  
  
"You forgive me?" she asked hesitantly  
  
"Of course, but you did nothing wrong" he said with a small smile, and instantly, they were aware that they had an audience as the entire great hall broke into applause, and both of them flushed in embarrassment "Why don't you come up to our rooms and we can talk without the entire school listening" suggested Harry into her ear  
  
"Sounds like a good idea to me" she whispered back and with that, they took each others hand and walked quickly from to great hall, but before they had taken a half a dozen steps, Harry was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Harry, I know you want some time alone with Ginny, so I will find out what I can from Sirius tonight, but could you please come to my office after breakfast tomorrow so I can hear your side of things?" asked the headmaster with a twinkle in his eyes  
  
"Yes, sir, but maybe I can help clear up some things here" said Harry with a shy smile as he directed his staff to the old man and an instant later, a look of understanding crossed his face "Sorry, sir, but we had to cast a memory charm before we left" he said sheepishly  
  
"Quite all right, Harry, but this will make things much easier to understand, perhaps I don't need to meet with you after all, and hopefully that spell will be put into effect soon" he said with a wink as he left Harry and Ginny in the direction of his office  
  
"What were you talking about, before you left from where? And what spell was he talking about?" asked Ginny in confusion with her brow furrowed  
  
"It's a long story, come on and I'll tell you everything" said Harry as he gently pulled her toward the exit.  
  
When they reached Harry and Sirius' rooms, they both sat down on the couch and Harry began his tale "Well, the first thing you need to know, is that the first time I left, I was taken to the Dursley's house. While I was there, Sirius and Snape came to help me with some of my lessons, Sirius with my animagus training and Snape with my hand to hand combat using my sword and dagger. When I had learned all I could about those, the headmaster came and was going to help me with my wandless magic, but in order to do so, I had to start with using my wand, but as soon as I touched it, I was pulled into a vision, and then it turned into this" he said as he held up his staff "Dumbledore said that getting the staff meant that my powers were complete, and sure enough, I could do anything, so we came back to the castle. You know what happened when I got here, but after our argument, I went to Dumbledore's office and he sent Sirius and I out on a mission to try and find a way to destroy Voldemort's spirit once and for all" he said before he paused to take a breath, but Ginny spoke up before he could continue.  
  
"So, why didn't you answer any of my letters then? I know you were getting them because Hedwig always came back without them" asked Ginny in a hurt tone  
  
"Well, that's kind of complicated, you see, where Dumbledore sent us, owls couldn't get to us, so I guess she just left them where she knew I would find them when I got back, they are all sitting on my desk, I found them right before the feast" he answered with a shy smile "I was going to read them tonight" he added  
  
"Well, I guess that's better than you ignoring them or something" said Ginny as she too smiled "So, where did the headmaster send you two that not even owls could find you?" she asked eagerly, but her happy expression disappeared when she saw his face fall  
  
"I'm sorry, Gin, but I can't tell you right now, but I promise I will as soon as it's safe for you to know" he said as he bowed his head, fearing her anger  
  
"What do you mean you can't tell me, don't you trust me?" she demanded, her voice getting higher with each syllable spoken  
  
"No Gin, it's not that I don't trust you" he reassured quickly "But it's not safe for you if you knew the truth, especially since the death eaters are at it again, if they found out that you knew anything, they would kill you and I can't bear to see that happen, not to you" he said quietly as he grasped both of her small hands in his own "Please tell me you understand" he pleaded  
  
She just looked at him for several silent moments, fury blazing in her brown eyes, but slowly, the fury diminished to be replaced with acceptance "All right, I understand, but can you at least tell me if you found anything or not?" she asked finally and Harry gave her a lop sided grin  
  
"Thanks Gin" he said honestly "And yes, we did find something, but we are waiting for the other person needed in order to make it work, she should be here within the next couple of weeks, and then we can hopefully put all of this behind us" he told her as he gently squeezed her hands  
  
"Who is this witch you are waiting for?" she asked  
  
"I'm not quite sure, but we will know her when she arrives" said Harry  
  
"If you say so" said Ginny hesitantly, not quite believing him "So, tell me more about this staff" she said  
  
"Well, I don't know much about it myself, but I do know that it was given to me by a phoenix named Terres"  
  
"You mean a phoenix gave you a staff?" asked Ginny incredulously and Harry chuckled lightly before he answered her  
  
"Yes, she told me that she was my guardian and has been the reason I have managed to stay alive through everything and why the killing curse didn't kill my when I was a baby" he explained  
  
"Well, at least some of your questions have finally been answered" said Ginny "So, do you care to explain to me just how a phoenix 'told' you that she was your guardian?"  
  
"Well, it seems that I can talk to phoenixes" he said with a shrug of his shoulders and a smile when he saw her wide eyed expression  
  
"You can TALK to phoenixes!? How?" she demanded  
  
"I have no idea" admitted Harry "Maybe I should ask Terres next time I see her" he thought out loud  
  
"You mean she comes to see you?" asked Ginny  
  
"Yeah, she said she would stay nearby to protect me until all of this is over, she is probably out hunting though now, or I would introduce you to her" he said with a smile  
  
"Wow, you really are full of surprises, aren't you?" said Ginny with a coy smile  
  
"It would seem so, I keep finding more out about myself every day" said Harry with a chuckle  
  
"What do you mean? What else has changed about you since you left?" she asked hesitantly  
  
"Well, a few other things, I can now change into magical creatures" he said and her eyes grew wide in amazement  
  
"I thought that was impossible" she exclaimed  
  
"So did I until I became a griffin" said Harry "It's late, we need to get to bed" he said after several minutes  
  
"Yeah, I better get back to the tower before they start to wonder where I am" said Ginny, but neither made any effort to move off the couch "I'm glad you're finally home" said Ginny  
  
Instead of answering though, Harry pulled her closer "God, Gin, I've missed you so much" he said into her hair  
  
"I've missed you too, Harry" she whispered back before she pulled him in for a long desired kiss.  
  
Two hours later, Sirius returned to find them locked in each others arms, sound asleep, and he couldn't help but feel relieved that Harry was back to normal again, and happy. He quietly walked to his room and silently shut the door, deciding to let the two remain in the living room together that night, after all, they both deserved some peace.  
  
When Harry woke up the next morning, he was aware of something warm curled up in his arms, and he sleepily opened his eyes and was met with bright red, which made him smile in contentment.  
  
'Why are you so happy, boy, you are just risking her life by being with her' said the voice in his head and Harry frowned  
  
'I will never let anything happen to her' he responded confidently  
  
'You may think that now, but what is going to happen once you are no longer in control of yourself? Who will protect her then?'  
  
'IF that happens, which it won't since we will have your daughter soon enough, then Sirius will keep you from harming her'  
  
'You actually believe that you will get my daughter to help you?'  
  
'Yes, because if she is anything like the rest of the world, she will probably hate you' responded Harry  
  
'You may like to believe that, but would you be able to play a part in the death of your parents?'  
  
'We don't even need to think about that, especially since you already killed them'  
  
'Yes, but if they were still alive, could you kill them?'  
  
'No, because they were good people, unlike you' thought Harry  
  
'Yes, but I guarantee that if you do find my daughter, it will be difficult to convince her to help you, she is the type who believes that there is good in everybody'  
  
'I will convince her' thought Harry with conviction  
  
'Very well, but if I do manage to take control of you again, do you really think that your godfather will kill you?' he asked, trying a different approach  
  
'Yes, he promised that he would' said Harry with certainty  
  
'But will he be able to keep that promise? Would you do the same if your positions were reversed?' asked Voldemort smugly, and Harry refused to answer, but second thoughts began to steadily run through his mind for nearly an hour until Ginny began to stir as she slowly woke up.  
  
"Morning beautiful" said Harry quietly as he gently kissed her cheek, causing her to smile sleepily  
  
"Good morning" she muttered as she opened her eyes "What time is it?" she asked and Harry looked over his shoulder toward the large clock standing on the other side of the room.  
  
"Seven fifteen, time for us to get to breakfast" said Harry as he began to sit up, but stopped when he saw the confused expression on Ginny's face "What's wrong?" he asked in concern  
  
"Where are your glasses? How did you see the clock without them?" she asked and Harry smiled  
  
"Oh, I can fix my vision with my staff, it's only temporary, but it's worth it not to have to wear glasses anymore" he said  
  
"I like it too, you can see your eyes better now" said Ginny with a smile as well as she sat up and stretched her arms.  
  
As they were both getting to their feet, the door to Sirius' room opened and the older man walked out "Harry, I'm glad you're awake, could you do me a favor and change my hair and eyes back to normal? I forgot that they were still different" said Sirius as he smiled at the two teenagers.  
  
"Sure, I forgot too, but I guess that's why you were getting such strange looks last night at dinner" said Harry and he held out his hand to summon his staff, and when he had it he pointed it at Sirius and an instant later, his hair was black and his eyes blue.  
  
"Thanks Harry, but you two had better get changed, breakfast is about to start and you don't need to be late" said Sirius as he left the room.  
  
"Why did Sirius have to change his appearance?" asked Ginny once he had left  
  
"We didn't want anyone to recognize either of us, so we both change a bit" answered Harry  
  
"Oh, well I guess I'll see you at breakfast then" said Ginny as she stretched up and gave Harry a long goodbye kiss which ended only when they were both out of breath  
  
"God I missed that Gin" said Harry truthfully once his breathing returned to normal  
  
"You're not the only one" said Ginny with a smile as she left the room in the direction of the Gryffindor tower so she could get changed for classes and Harry turned toward his own bedroom to get a shower.  
  
When he arrived to the great hall, it was already full of students chattering happily about the first day of classes. He greeted several of his old house mates on his way to the head table, and was surprised to find that Ginny had not yet arrived, but there were several students still missing, so he wasn't worried. By the time that he finally reached his seat, he wanted nothing more than to sit and eat a large meal in peace.  
  
Nearly twenty minutes into breakfast, Ginny finally arrived and immediately shot Harry a wide grin which he was more than happy to return. Breakfast passed quickly and as soon as it was over, Harry followed Sirius and Remus to the defense corridor to assist Remus with his class of first years while Sirius planned for his first class of the day, which was right after lunch.  
  
When the first year Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students entered the room, they all starred at Harry in awe, completely ignoring Remus who was attempting to take the roll, much to the amusement of Sirius who was sitting in the corner attempting to write something that at least resembled a lesson plan.  
  
"Good morning students, I am Remus Lupin, your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and for those of you who don't know, this is Harry Potter, who will be assisting me" he said with a kind smile to the thirty eleven year olds who were mow paying rapt attention to him "Now, we will begin by learning about the various dark creatures and how to defend yourselves from them, who of you can tell me about vampires?" he asked and spent the rest of the lesson lecturing from the book about the differences between fact and myth concerning vampires. The next class of the morning consisted of the remaining two first year houses, and the lesson was repeated again, leaving Harry time to simply observe Remus and his teaching methods since he would probably be teaching the classes during the time following a full moon.  
  
Immediately following a quick lunch, Harry proceeded back to the Defense classroom to aid Sirius in his fifth year class which he had decided would cover dark curses and potions to begin the year, and Harry was surprised to find that his godfather was indeed a good teacher who lectured in a way that the students could not only understand, but also paid attention. After dinner that night, Harry decided to go up to Gryffindor tower and surprise Ginny who was planning on coming to their rooms once she had finished all of her homework.  
  
He walked slowly up the familiar path to the place he had lived for seven years, happily thinking about less complicated times in which his main concern was writing a potions essay. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he ran face first into someone else and was knocked off of his feet and into a heap on the ground with a loud 'oomph'.  
  
"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry!" exclaimed a familiar voice from somewhere up above him and once he had pushed his hair out of his eyes he was met with the familiar sight of Hermione holding a book.  
  
"Hey, Hermione" he said as he pulled himself back to his feet "Good book?" he asked with a grin  
  
"Oh yes, Professor Flitwick loaned it to me, it's about advanced charms" she explained happily "How was your first day back at the castle?" she asked as she began to walk with him  
  
"Not too bad, you?" he asked  
  
"Wonderful, I can't wait until I get to teach a class on my own" she said wistfully "Are you on your way to see Ginny?" she asked when she recognized the direction he was traveling in  
  
"Yes, I thought I would surprise her" he said "When did you say Ron and Draco were going to arrive?" he asked  
  
"Next Wednesday, I can't wait to see Ron again" she said "And I know he is anxious to see you as well" she added as she looked to Harry with a smile "I don't guess you can tell us where you have been all this time, can you?" she asked hopefully  
  
"I'm afraid not, but like I told Ginny, I will tell you all as soon as it is safe to do so" he said "I'm sorry" he added once he saw her disappointed face  
  
"I understand, it would probably be dangerous if anyone else knew" she said, but Harry wasn't convinced that this would be the end of that particular conversation. At the portrait of the fat lady, Hermione bid Harry goodbye and went off in the direction of her own room for the night.  
  
"Harry Potter!" exclaimed the fat lady once she saw him "I was wondering when you would be coming up here again, go on in, professors don't need a password" she said and Harry thanked her before crawling through and entering the common room which went silent when it's occupants saw who it was.  
  
"Good evening" he said shyly, berating himself for coming at a time when all of Gryffindor was present and vowing to himself that next time he would come in as an animal that would not gain so much attention. He quickly made his way across the room to a very amused looking Ginny who was sitting in the corner and took a seat beside her.  
  
"Well, Mr. Potter, what a pleasant surprise" she said with a smile before she gave him a kiss in greeting "I thought we were meeting in your rooms later tonight?" she asked  
  
"Well, I thought I would surprise you, but I had no idea I would be getting so much attention by coming up here" he said quietly, aware of the several pairs of eyes on him  
  
"Well, I was the only one who saw you after that day in defense, no one else saw you until the feast the other night" she explained  
  
"Do you think that is why they are all starring at me?" he asked  
  
"Well, that and the fact that you are wearing a very noticeable cloak when it is nearly sweltering in here, and you are carrying a gold staff, all of which catch everyone else's attention" she said "Why are you wearing a cloak?" she asked with her brow furrowed  
  
"I'm cold" he said simply  
  
"How can you be cold when it is so hot?" she asked as she fanned her face to prove her point  
  
"I don't know, I always seem to be cold now days, ever since that day I dueled with that auror" he said with a shrug of his shoulders  
  
"Really?" asked Ginny in concern  
  
"Yeah, why?" asked Harry  
  
"Well, have you told anyone about this, Madame Pomfrey or Sirius or the headmaster?" she asked  
  
"No, I didn't think it was important, do you?" asked Harry  
  
"Maybe not, but has it gotten any worse since then?"  
  
"Sometimes, yes, but others it is barley noticeable" explained Harry "Why are you so worried?" he asked her  
  
"Well, do you think that it has anything to do with you-know-who?" she whispered and his face immediately paled as he began to make connections  
  
"Yes, I think it does" he finally said and before she could ask anymore questions he elaborated "Any time I feel happy or content, I am warm, but the second I begin to doubt myself and listen to what he is saying, I get cold" he explained  
  
"Harry, I think you need to tell Dumbledore about this" said Ginny seriously  
  
"I think I will, but first I need to talk to Sirius" he said "Maybe we can get together tomorrow night instead" he suggested and she nodded in agreement as she gave him another quick kiss before he left.  
  
As Harry walked toward his own rooms, he thought about what he had just found out, and the small truth that he had failed to mention to Ginny, that in the past weeks, he had constantly been cold and nothing could warm him up, even her presence. He knew that Voldemort was getting increasingly stronger, and he was hesitant to tell anyone this, because he didn't want to admit it himself. They needed to get his daughter, and quick, or Sirius would be forced to keep up his promise he had made to Harry, whether he wanted to or not.  
  
Despite what Harry had told Ginny, he never told anyone else about what he had discovered, even though he told her that he had. This was due mostly to Voldemort, and Harry still vividly remembered his frightening words from that night when he had been intending to tell Sirius.  
  
'Do you actually think they will let you continue to have free rein over the entire school when they find out that you are weakening to my power?'  
  
'What do you mean?' he had asked hesitantly  
  
'As soon as they discover that you are breaking down, they will lock you up and never allow you to see anyone again. You will be kept as far away from Ginny and the rest of those you care about because they will think it is for the best' Voldemort had said in a self assured tone of voice  
  
'They would never take me away from everyone like that' Harry had replied with certainty  
  
'Won't they? Didn't they do just that when I got control of you last time? They sent you away to a place where you wouldn't endanger the rest of the school'  
  
'You're wrong, they sent me away so that the death eaters couldn't find me'  
  
'That's what they told you, but at the time, the death eaters hadn't even begun to attack yet, or don't you remember? The attacks began AFTER you went to the past' replied Voldemort 'They sent you away to keep everyone else safe, not to protect you, and they will do the same thing again, only this time, they will not allow you to return'  
  
'You're lying, Tom, Dumbledore would never send me away'  
  
'No, boy, you are the one who is wrong here, and you know it, he would send you away, he already has once and he wouldn't hesitate to do it again' said Voldemort as his voice faded away and left Harry to his own thoughts, and it was then that he admitted to himself that Voldemort was right, and he wouldn't risk being taken away from Ginny again so he would keep this little bit of information to himself, as well as anything else that might come along.  
  
Three weeks had passed now since the start of term and still there was no sign of Voldemort's daughter and Harry was starting to get worried. Voldemort was steadily gaining strength and beginning to influence his every day life and behaviors. His head was constantly aching along his scar, and his left arm, where the dark mark was, felt as though it were burning more often than not and he had caught himself rubbing the sensitive skin almost constantly in an effort to alleviate the pain. Voldemort had also now gained enough strength to control Harry's dreams as well and his nights were filled with images and sounds of the death eaters attacks through their link with their master and it was rare that he actually got more than an hour of peaceful sleep a night and because of this his eyes were ringed in dark circles and his skin was losing its healthy color, but he kept both hidden by concealment charms on his face that not even the headmaster could see through and nobody knew that he was having anything less than a perfect rest every night. He had also started to snap at his friends for the smallest things, causing Ron to get angry with him on more than one occasion, but he was always forgiven because of the influences of Hermione, Ginny, and Draco who would remind him that it wasn't Harry talking, but Voldemort.  
  
The classes he had been helping Sirius and Remus with were going smoothly so far, as was the dueling club that had started the second week of school and he enjoyed both activities greatly, but the thought of what was to come was constantly nagging at his mind. The only somewhat bright spot in the day for him was the nights he spent with Ginny, either in front of the fire in their rooms, or in Gryffindor tower, which were spent in quiet and peaceful conversations about anything and everything, except Voldemort and the death eaters for which Harry was eternally grateful since that is what he would have to see all night and listen to all day. He was ready for everything to finally be over, and at this point, he didn't care how it ended.  
  
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A/N: All right, longer than the last one by almost 10 pages, and Harry and Ginny are together again, but not all is well yet. Some things from many chapters ago are finally answered and Harry is starting to get pretty run down, so the next chapter will not be all happy and mushy, but it does have its moments. Ok, enough of my rambling, this is what 12 hours at work after only 3 hours of sleep can do to you. Hope you enjoyed both this one and the last one, next one is almost done, but I don't know when I will be able to post it, tomorrow is my brothers birthday and we are taking him out to celebrate (he's nineteen) so I won't be able to tomorrow, and Saturday I leave for orientation, so maybe Tuesday or Wednesday? Please review and let me know what you think! I couldn't get this to work out exactly how I wanted it to, but I tried! 


	49. Letters, Dreams, and Guilt

Chapter 49  
  
One night shortly after term began, after a long meeting of the dueling club, Harry returned to his room and his eyes fell onto his desk and a small smile filtered across his face. Tiredly, he pulled his desk chair over to the large window and began to read the pile of letters that had lain forgotten since his return.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
June 26  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
I don't know if you will receive this or not, and even if you do, I doubt that you will respond to it but I wanted to write it anyways. I know that you have gotten many letters from me over the past couple of weeks, but I think that this one will be even more important to you than all of the others. As you probably realize, today was graduation for the seventh years and you had every right to be here, but since you couldn't be I decided to let you know just what went on.  
  
As you know, Hermione was head girl and Draco was head boy (even though it should have been you, but you refused it) and both of them had to give the traditional 'Hogwarts has meant so much to me, good luck in the future' speeches, but they decided to add a little twist to tradition that I think you would appreciate. Instead of each one giving their own speech, they decided to do one together and have the rest of the seventh years participate as well. They started by telling about the events of the first year, everything from Professor Quirrell and his stuttering (with a very good impression given by Dean) to the quidditch season and the crushing defeat of Slytherin for the house cup competition due to you, Ron, Hermione, and Neville. They did the same thing for every year of their time at Hogwarts, retelling all of the events, both good and bad, that occurred, including the battle at the end of last year and the memorial service for the boy-who-lived-who everyone-thought-was-dead-but-never-really-died, as Seamus so fondly called you. After their little story telling session that had everyone laughing and crying at the same time, Dumbledore got up and made a speech about just how much all of the students meant to him and how proud he was of everyone, and though he didn't mention you by name, everyone knew he was talking mostly about you.  
  
After his speech, he and the other professors took turns calling names and handing out graduation certificates to everyone, and when they got to the place where your name should have been, I was certain that they weren't going to say it, but Remus did and Dumbledore said that due to extenuating circumstances that he would hold on to your certificate for you until he next saw you. When the ceremony was over, all of the Gryffindor graduates and a few from other houses all came to the burrow for a party which lasted until early the next morning. More than one person asked me where you were and were concerned for your safety with the increased threats from death eaters, but since I do not know myself, I was not able to give them any answers, but Dumbledore kept assuring them that wherever you were you were safe, but I find that hard to believe since trouble seems to find you wherever you are.  
  
Ron and Draco have decided to return to the castle after term starts again if Sirius is still willing to help them, and Hermione was offered the position of assistant charms professor for next year which she was ecstatic about, of course. Dumbledore also hinted that you would be back at the castle next year to help with the defense classes, but he didn't say anything definite to me about it, but I hope it is true, I would love to have you at the castle for my last year so we can still see each other.  
  
How are you doing, wherever you are? I hope you-know-who is not giving you too many problems, and that Sirius is looking out for you. I have continued to look through the library with Hermione and Ron whenever we get a spare moment, but so far we haven't been able to find anything that could help you, but we will keep looking.  
  
I also wanted to tell you that I miss you with my whole heart, and I can't bear to be away from you again, especially now. I know you are very powerful, Harry, but the death eaters are out for your blood, and I don't think that they will stop until they have it. They are killing everyone they meet, and attacking random houses just to kill families, many of them muggles, for no reason. Dumbledore and my father have set up new wards around the burrow to protect us while we are here for the summer since not only my family, but Hermione and Draco, will be here until term starts again, and everyone knows that we are close to you, but don't worry about us, we'll be fine. You need to concentrate on yourself and staying out of their way.  
  
It is almost time for the express to leave, so I had better send this with Hedwig. I told Remus and the headmaster that she could stay with us for the summer, so don't worry about her, she can keep Pig company.  
  
I love you Harry and I hope to see you soon,  
  
Ginny  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
July 31  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
Happy Birthday! I hope this letter finds you well, we are all fine here at the Burrow. Ron, Hermione, Draco, and the rest of the family will all be sending you letters as well today I imagine. I hope you like your gift, even though it is something you would be more likely to receive from Hermione than myself, but hopefully it helps with the search on how to destroy you-know-who. We found another copy in the restricted section of the library, and when we read it, we discovered a way you could get rid of him for good, but I don't know if it is possible. It talks about making a potion containing a drop of blood from one of your relatives, and one of his, and then having both of them cast some sort of spell on you exactly nine days after you drink the potion, on the first day of a new moon. The entire potion and spell as well as all of the information about both are on page 768 of this book if you want to read it, but I will tell you a little more of what Remus told us about it as well.  
  
The potion is used to separate your own spirit and magic from his, but doing this may either strengthen him or you, but not both, since your magic will no longer be connected, so it is risky. The spell that needs to be cast will remove him from you and then destroy him as soon as you two are separated, and it is guaranteed to work as long as a blood relative of he and you are casting the spell, so the potion is the only risky part, and in my opinion it is too much of a risk.  
  
We will keep looking for another way until you come back, or we find one, but just in case we can't find any other option we thought you might want to read up on this and let Sirius do the same since he would probably be the one to participate from your family, since he is a closer relative than Dumbledore, and the book says the closer the relationship, the more productive the spell will be.  
  
Geeze, this entire letter so far sounds like Hermione wrote it for a grade, didn't it? Sorry about that, I didn't mean for it to be a lesson or anything! Well, on to better news, Fred and George have opened another shop, this one in Diagon Alley, so now they have two stores to deal with (Merlin help us) and their new store is already doing more business than the first one did during its first month of operation, apparently they have a pretty good following already. Mum has been helping dad at the ministry nearly every day now, to try and cope with the death eater attacks since everyone at the ministry is already overwhelmed. That leaves just four of us at home all day long, and trust me, with only Draco for company, things are starting to get boring (Ron and Hermione are always together alone), so don't worry, there is no threat of forgetting you. School starts again in a month, so we are going to Diagon Alley tomorrow morning to get my things and some books for Hermione, and Draco and Ron were saying something about getting some 'equipment' for their training with Sirius, but I really don't want to know what they were talking about. Draco inherited all of the money from his family in court case last week, his mother disappeared and no one knows where she is, but Draco thinks she joined the rest of the death eaters, but who knows. Well, this is getting to be pretty long, so I had better go ahead and send it with Hedwig so you get it while it still is your birthday.  
  
Happy Birthday again! Lots of Love,  
  
Ginny  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
August 30  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
This letter will be short since I will hopefully be seeing you tomorrow night. I hope you will still be returning then, if not, I will be giving Dumbledore a piece of my mind. I just wanted to let you know that as soon as I see you, I want a few answers, first, where have you been, and second, why didn't you answer any of my letters? I want both of these questions answered as soon as we are alone, so be prepared or you will face the wrath of the famous Weasley temper. I hope you are still well, and Sirius too, and I can't wait until tomorrow night when we can see each other again.  
  
Love Always,  
  
Ginny  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry smiled slightly as he read the last of Ginny's letters from the summer break, each just as caring and funny as the previous, and his heart swelled with pride to know she loved him so much, and he returned that love ten fold.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Good morning, Harry" said Sirius on Monday morning as Harry groggily left his room and entered the living room  
  
"Morning" he mumbled back as he reached for his cloak with shivering hands  
  
"Are you ok? You don't look like you slept well last night" said Sirius in concern as he approached his godson  
  
"I'm fine so leave me alone" he snapped back as he picked up his staff and left the room in the direction of the great hall for breakfast. He entered the hall and immediately took his seat next to Hermione.  
  
"Hello Harry" she said pleasantly and he responded by sending her a pointed glare that strongly resembled that of Snape, which she immediately turned away from to finish eating her meal in silence, which he was thankful for, but before she left, she asked another question which she immediately regretted "Harry, Ron, Draco, and I are going to go down to the village tonight after dinner for a drink and to relax since Sirius gave them the night off. Would you and Ginny like to come along?" she asked  
  
"Hermione, I don't have time to waste drinking in the village, I have more important things on my mind right now, or have you been too wrapped up in Ron to remember that? So save your breath and my time from now on" he said crisply as he stood and strode from the great hall, leaving a slack jawed Hermione in his wake as well as several baffled teachers, including Remus and Sirius who had heard the entire exchange.  
  
"Hermione, just ignore him right now, he has been snapping at everyone all week" said Remus gently  
  
"I know, it's just that he needs to get away from this all for a little while, he needs to forget about it and spend some time with his friends" she said back with tears shining in her eyes  
  
"I'm afraid that until this is over with that he won't be able to put it out of his mind for even a couple of minutes" said Sirius wearily as he too stood to leave the room.  
  
That night when Ginny came to see him, they sat in complete silence, neither saying a word to the other, but they knew just what the other was thinking. Ginny was worried about Harry and he knew it but there was nothing he could do to alleviate her worries so he didn't even try.  
  
That night after Ginny left to return to her dorm, Harry stayed in an armchair in the living room, trying in vain not to fall asleep since he knew what he would experience if he did so, but regardless of his efforts, he was pulled into a dream.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
He was back in the cavern, but unlike every other time he had been here in his dreams so far, this time he was almost alone. He was still chained to the wall with the magical restraints that prevented him from using his magic, and his body was covered in bruises and blood, but that was not what caught his attention. The entire cavern was filled with dead bodies, lying where they had fallen and all starring straight at him. He had seen this before, but every other time it had been only the death eaters who were lying dead in the cave, killed while Voldemort was residing inside of them, but now there were others, women and children that had been killed by the still uncaught death eaters, people Harry had seen die during his terrible nightmares and they too were sending him accusing glares and he was forced to close his eyes to keep from being sick.  
  
"You see what you have caused, Harry?" asked a voice from directly in front of him and he quickly opened his eyes and looked into the cold red eyes of Voldemort who was standing barley a meter from him "If it weren't for you, none of these people would be dead, they would still be alive and happy with their families, but because of you they are all dead" he said smoothly  
  
"No, I didn't kill them, you and your followers did" said Harry confidently, forcing himself to look at Voldemort and not the bodies.  
  
"Yes, Harry, they may have died by the wands of others, but none of them need have died if it weren't for you. My followers are only looking for me, and if you just surrendered now, they would have their master and they would stop their search and their needless killing"  
  
"I will never give in to you because if I did then even more would die" spat Harry  
  
"Perhaps, but you know the truth even if you don't want to admit it. All of these people died because of you, these children will never get the opportunity to grow up, and many others will never get to see their parents again because you killed them. These men may just be death eaters to you, but to someone else, they are a father, a son, a husband, and because you refused to let them escape from here, they are dead."  
  
"They are dead because they are evil, Tom, just like you and they deserved to die" said Harry  
  
"Who are you to decide what is good and what is evil in this world, Harry Potter? Who are you to decide who lives and who dies?" asked Voldemort  
  
"It isn't me who chooses who lives and who dies, Tom, it was you who killed your men, not me, and you took their lives just to prolong your own, so who are you to decide who lives and who dies?" countered Harry  
  
"Harry, Harry, Harry, you still don't understand, do you? If you hadn't have brought us here, I would never have had to inhabit the bodies of my followers and so many children would still have their parents. It was your choice to bring them here, so their deaths are on your hands, not mine" he answered with a cruel smile "And as for the others you see here, their lives would have been spared if only you would have turned yourself over to my followers, so their deaths are also on your hands"  
  
Harry could only stare at Voldemort as the implications of his words sunk in, he didn't want to believe that what he was saying was true, but deep down he knew it was and that thought made him sick. He forced himself to look away from Voldemort and his eyes fell onto the face of a young girl with blonde hair, a look of horror fixed permanently onto her young face, her blue eyes wide with shock and Harry felt tears begin to sting his own eyes. "It is my fault" he whispered quietly to himself without taking his eyes from those of the girl "They all died because of me"  
  
"Now you understand just how selfish you have been, Harry. You caused all of them to die just because you didn't want to face what you knew was meant to happen. You and I are one, Harry Potter, like I told you many years ago, we are very alike, you and I, and it is destiny that we are to be one and rule over the wizarding world with our combined powers, the likes of which have never been seen before. If you surrender now, Harry, I will promise that I will not harm your friends, not Ginny, or Sirius, or Remus, Draco, Ron, or Hermione, and I will even let Dumbledore live if he agrees to submit to me, but if you refuse, when I do get control, they will be the first to die" he threatened "All you have to do is give in now and their deaths will not join these on your hands, they will be spared. You have two months to decide what you want to do, but I advise you to make the wise decision unless you want to be responsible for the deaths of all those you care about" he said as his voice began to fade away to be replaced by the frantic one of Sirius.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sirius was awoken in the middle of the night by a loud thump from the living room. Concerned, he jumped from his bed and grabbed his wand before hurrying out of his bedroom, where he was met with the sight of Harry lying on the ground, clearly caught in a nightmare. He knelt at his godson's side and called his name, trying to wake him up without touching him since he didn't want to experience the nightmare Harry was having himself, but nothing worked.  
  
"Harry! Come on, wake up Harry, it's just a nightmare, it's not real" he yelled frantically and as he paused to take a breath, he heard a soft voice speaking, barley audible, and he leaned closer to hear the words that chilled his blood in his veins.  
  
"No, I didn't kill them, you and your followers did" Harry said with confidence and Sirius didn't even to think about just who Harry was referring to, Voldemort, but he had no idea about just what that meant, that Harry wasn't only dreaming about Voldemort, but actually holding out a conversation with him.  
  
"I will never give in to you because if I did then even more would die" he said after a long pause and Sirius' brow furrowed in concern as he tried again to call Harry awake but to no avail.  
  
"They are dead because they are evil, Tom, just like you and they deserved to die" Again Harry paused for several moments like he was listening to a response to his words.  
  
"It isn't me who chooses who lives and who dies, Tom, it was you who killed your men, not me, and you took their lives just to prolong your own, so who are you to decide who lives and who dies?" he asked and despite the gravity of the situation, Sirius allowed a grim smirk pass across his worried face as Harry spoke the truth so perfectly, but his face fell upon Harry's next words, spoken barley above a whisper.  
  
"It is my fault. They all died because of me"  
  
Sirius was shocked. How could Harry even think that he was responsible for anyone's death? He was so startled that he didn't even realize that Harry had woken up and had his green eyes focused intently on Sirius until the boy began to sit up.  
  
"Harry!" he exclaimed once he had been brought out of his musings.  
  
"Sirius, why are you in here? It's the middle of the night, you should be asleep" said Harry as he stood.  
  
"I heard you fall of the chair, I was just checking to make sure that you were ok. Are you? That seemed like a pretty bad nightmare you were having" said Sirius pointedly, praying that Harry would tell him what he had been dreaming about even though he already had a good idea.  
  
"I'm fine, I guess I just fell asleep, sorry I woke you" said Harry as he began to turn toward the direction of his own room.  
  
"Not so fast Harold James, I want to know just what you were dreaming about because you have a bad habit of talking in your sleep" said Sirius as he took hold of Harry's upper arm to stop him.  
  
"I already told you, Sirius, I'm fine and it was just a nightmare, I don't even remember what it was about" lied Harry "Now, let go of me before I make you" he said in a threatening growl as he wrenched his arm from Sirius' grasp and walked into his room without another word, leaving a very confused Sirius in his wake.  
  
"Harry, I hope for all of our sakes this ends soon, I don't know how much longer you can put up with this" said Sirius quietly to the closed door, not intending to be overheard, but he was and Harry offered his own quiet response that fell upon deaf ears.  
  
"I won't have to hold on for much longer, Sirius. This ends in two months, one way or another" he said before sitting down at his desk to read a book for the rest of the night, unwilling to even try to fall asleep again.  
  
At breakfast the next morning, Sirius tried to talk to Harry about what happened the night before, but the stubborn teen refused to speak to him which only served to make Sirius even more frustrated.  
  
"Harry, I know that whatever you were dreaming about was not pleasant and I know that the only way to put things like this behind you is to talk about them" said Sirius as he glared pointedly at Harry  
  
"Sirius, I already told you that it was no big deal and I don't even remember it, so why do you keep pushing this?" demanded Harry  
  
"Because I am worried about you, Harry. You have a lot on your mind right now and you won't talk to anyone about it anymore. I want to help you" pleaded Sirius  
  
"Sirius, you can't help me anymore, time is running out, the only thing you can do is keep the promise you made to me. Don't let me hurt anyone" said Harry as he stood to leave the breakfast table, leaving Sirius speechless behind him, but only for a moment. Before Harry had reached the large oak doors leading from the great hall, Sirius stood and spoke loudly, silencing the students who were still eating their breakfast and gaining the attention of all present.  
  
"Harry, I don't know what he is telling you, but none of this is your fault, you haven't done anything wrong" he said, and though the majority of those present had no idea what he was talking about, a small handful did and they became even more concerned and worried for the black haired boy who carried a golden staff and wore a scarlet cloak.  
  
Harry paused momentarily at the doors and bowed his head before he answered his godfather without turning to face him "Yes it is, Sirius, I could have stopped it before it happened, but I was too weak to do it, so I am going to stop it now. Please, Sirius, remember your promise" he said in a quiet and defeated tone, but his words echoed off the walls as though he had yelled them before e pushed the doors open and left the silent hall behind.  
  
Immediately following the end of breakfast, those who knew about what was really going on met in the small chamber just off of the great hall.  
  
"What has gotten in to him?" demanded Snape once the door was shut and several silencing spells had been cast on the room to prevent eavesdropping.  
  
"I don't know, he keeps getting more and more short tempered and depressed, no matter what we try to do" said Hermione in a defeated tone, but before anyone else could add their own thoughts, Dumbledore spoke up.  
  
"Sirius, what were you talking about with him?" he asked kindly  
  
"Well, last night he was having a nightmare and he was talking in his sleep, he was saying that he was responsible for everyone dying, I think he was talking to Voldemort in his dream, and that he was trying to make Harry feel guilty, and it looks like he did a pretty good job of that" Sirius muttered darkly as he looked intently into the eyes of the others in the room "He's giving up" he added in a flat, emotionless voice  
  
"Sirius, Harry is strong, he would never just give up like that" said Hermione with certainty, though her eyes didn't reflect that certainty  
  
"Hermione, you have no idea just how hard these past months have been on Harry. He has had some pretty bad experiences that he will never be able to forget since he left the castle, and then he comes back and discovers that the death eaters are out for revenge on him, and then Voldemort tells him that everyone who has died, died because of him and he is close to breaking, and judging by what he said this morning, he is closer than any of us thought" said Sirius as he bowed his head in depression  
  
"What are you saying, Sirius? What was he talking about, what did you promise him?" asked Ginny quietly and her question drew the attention of all of the others immediately  
  
"Ginny, I don't want to answer that" said Sirius, trying in vain to avoid admitting what he had promised to his godson  
  
"Sirius, please answer the question, if you don't we will have no idea just how bad things have gotten" said Remus as he placed a reassuring hand on his best friends shoulder  
  
"Moony, please, I can't" Sirius practically begged, but it was obvious that his friend wasn't going to back down  
  
"Padfoot, we need to know" he said gently and the others all nodded in agreement, all concerned, even Snape.  
  
"Fine, but you aren't going to like it" Sirius muttered before he began "While we were gone, Harry became very distant, almost as bad as he is now. He wouldn't speak to me at all, or anyone else. He spent every waking moment either reading or working on a spell, and every night as an animagus running through the woods. One night he came back early and went straight to his room, and stayed there for quite some time, later I found out that he was arguing with Sherlock and Terres" he said with a grim smile and when he saw the confused looks on several of the others faces he elaborated "Terres is a phoenix that came to him while we were gone, it turns out that she was the one who sent him the staff" he said hastily, preferring to get on with his tale "Well, later that night, he came out and demanded that we talk and that I promise him something. He told me about a dream he had had, that he had hurt Ginny, and he was really keyed up about it, he was afraid that it was really going to happen. That's why he had been so distant, he had even gone so far as to say he was going to leave once we got back. He was so scared that he was going to hurt someone that he made me promise that I wouldn't let him if Voldemort ever got control again" he said as he paused for a moment  
  
"How could you stop him? Harry is the most powerful wizard ever, and if Voldemort did get control again, how could you do anything to stop him?" asked Snape skeptically  
  
Sirius looked directly into the dark eyes of his former enemy before he answered in an unflinching tone "I promised that I would kill him before he got the chance" he said bluntly as he stood and walked out of the room without another word, leaving the others in shocked silence, Ginny and Hermione with tears in their eyes.  
  
The rest of the day passed quickly, with no one seeing any sign of Harry, but come dinner, he was already sitting in his seat at the head table, deep in thought.  
  
"Harry, are you ok?" asked Dumbledore gently as he reached his seat  
  
"Fine sir" replied Harry as the hall continued to fill with students  
  
"If you ever need to talk, I'm here" offered the old man as he gently squeezed Harry's shoulder in a grandfatherly gesture.  
  
"Pardon me, sir, but how could you help me? You have no idea what I am going through, you have never had to go through anything like this yourself" said Harry shortly as he glared at his former headmaster, green eyes piercing blue with anger and intensity, but the older man was not intimidated  
  
"Harry, I know that this is hard on you, but you need to have faith that everything will work out, or you have already lost. The spell will work, but you must have patience, it was set up in an area of the school that is not well traversed, but every student walks down it at one point or another, she will be brought here in just a matter of time, just have faith" he said as he walked to his seat and began to eat.  
  
Harry just sat in stunned silence, how could the headmaster have such confidence when things were going so badly? How could he be so certain that everything would be fine? He thought as he too began to eat, trying o ignore the sneering remarks Voldemort was making about the only reason Dumbledore was so certain was because it wasn't himself that had to deal with all of Harry's problems and guilt.  
  
The rest of the week passed in much the same fashion, Harry keeping as far away from everyone as he possibly could, with the exception of Ginny whom he still met every night.  
  
"Harry, you never did tell me what you thought about your birthday gift. Did it help?" she asked one night  
  
"Oh, yes, it did, Sirius and I checked into it, but Voldemort doesn't have any living relatives, he killed them all himself" said Harry, still irritated that he couldn't tell her the truth.  
  
"Oh" she said quietly "Well, maybe we can find something else" she suggested hopefully as she burrowed deeper into his arms "We still have time" she added and Harry silently cursed the fact that they had less time that she thought, only seven weeks left now until it would be over.  
  
The rest of the night was spent discussing the new Gryffindor quidditch team, which Ginny was captain of, the second Weasley to hold the position. Their first game would be the weekend following the Christmas break, and the team was just starting practices. Harry was glad for the distraction and eagerly gave Ginny pointers and advice on different plays, some of which he had learned from the marauders during his time in the past.  
  
When he went into his room later that night, he was surprised to find Sherlock, Hedwig, and Terres all waiting for him on his bed. Sherlock had spent the few remaining warm months exploring the castle and grounds, and Harry had rarely seen him lately, and Terres had been gone since the day they had gotten back and Harry had no idea where she had been. Affectionately rubbing his owls back, he turned to his pet and guardian.  
  
'Hello you two. What are you doing here?' he asked  
  
'Harry, we came to ask you about what has been going on, why have you become so depressed?' asked Sherlock in concern and sighing, Harry sat on the bed next to the green snake who looked up to him with wide eyes.  
  
'How did you find out about this?' he finally asked  
  
'My child, the entire school was talking about what happened at breakfast a few days ago, and your owl came and told me, and I found Sherlock. We are concerned for you' said Terres gently  
  
'I figured you would find out about that' muttered Harry, but despite Voldemort, he was unable to brush off the concerns of the animals as easily as he did with his friends 'Voldemort told me that if I give into him within the next seven weeks that he won't hurt anyone I care about, but if I don't, then they will be the first he kills' he said simply 'I just don't know what to do' he added  
  
'Harry, you mustn't worry about what he says, hopefully it will not come down to that' reassured Sherlock  
  
'But what if it does? What if I have to decide between my friends, family, and Ginny, or the rest of the world? How could I make such a decision? I'm already responsible for too many deaths, I couldn't bear anymore'  
  
'My child, you are not responsible for anyone dying, Voldemort is, don't let him make you think otherwise' said Terres  
  
'Maybe you're right, but how do I decide? Who am I to pick who lives and who dies?' he implored of his two companions as he continued to stroke Hedwig absentmindedly  
  
'That is not a responsibility of anyone, you do not have to decide who lives and who dies, just trust your heart and it will tell you what is right' said Terres  
  
Despite the gravity of the conversation, Harry smiled grimly at the phoenix 'But what if my heart has already decided?' he asked her  
  
'Then follow it' she said and Harry swore she was smiling as well 'You are too strong to give into him, my child, and all he is trying to do is weaken you with his lies since he knows he won't win any other way. Now, get some rest, I will watch over your dreams tonight to keep him from interfering so you may sleep peacefully, you need it' she said as she settled on the post of his bed.  
  
'Thanks, Terres' he said as he quickly went into the bathroom to change before settling down for the first peaceful nights sleep he had had in a long time, with Terres watching over him and Sherlock coiled at the foot of his bed.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Sorry this took so long, but things will get better now that school is about to start again. Hope you enjoy this and please review! Next chapter maybe tomorrow or Tuesday, depending on when I get a chance to finish it. 


	50. An Unexpected Arrival

Chapter 50  
  
The next morning, Harry awoke early and after dressing quickly he made his way out to the lake to think in private. He sat on the shore and pulled his cloak close around himself as he gazed unblinking into the water, watching the giant squid catch its breakfast. How long he sat there before his thoughts were broken, he did not know, but what did finally break through his silent musing was far from pleasant.  
  
'So, tell me boy, have you decided to give up yet?' asked Voldemort  
  
'No, Tom, I have decided that I will not give up, not to you' replied Harry confidently  
  
'You are making the wrong choice, Potter, you would b wise to reconsider' threatened the evil wizard  
  
'No, I have made the right choice, and nothing you can say will change my mind. You may promise not to harm those I care about, but I will not see them live in fear as their world is controlled by you. Their deaths by your hands are better than them having to submit to your will'  
  
'So, you would rather see them die, would you? Well, in that case, I will be sure it is done, and your face will be the last thing they ever see' said Voldemort smugly 'You would have been better off not to listen to the idiotic ramblings of a phoenix, Potter, she has only led you to more pain than you needed to suffer' he added  
  
'Wrong, Tom, it is you has caused all the pain in my life, she is the one who has made it possible for me to keep going despite you' replied Harry  
  
'You may believe that now, but I have a feeling your ideas will change once you see all those you care for die' said Voldemort "I will allow you the rest of the time we agreed on to change your mind, but if you don't, they will be the first to die' he said as his voice faded away into nothingness and Harry miserably shook his head  
  
"I will never change my mind" he said out loud  
  
"Change your mind to what?" asked a voice from directly beside him, and startled, Harry jumped to his feet with his staff in one hand and the other outstretched "Calm down, Potter, I'm not going to attack you" said Snape with a smirk  
  
"Sorry, sir, I didn't even hear you walk up" said Harry as he lowered his arm and relaxed "How long have you been here?" he asked as eh turned back toward the lake and the rising sun  
  
"Quite some time now, I was in the forest all night collecting potions ingredients and saw you on my way back to the castle. I decided to come and make sure you weren't trying to do something foolhardy or Gryffindor" he said "But you appeared to be lost in your own thoughts"  
  
"Don't worry, Professor, I wasn't thinking about jumping in just to escape from my problems" said Harry with a genuine smile  
  
"I was hoping not" replied Snape "Do you mind if I ask what you were think about that was so interesting that I was able to sneak up on you?" he asked after several minutes of silence  
  
"Nothing too interesting, just listening to Voldemort talk about how he was going to kill everyone I care about if I don't surrender to him within the next six weeks. Same story, different day" he added with a shrug of his shoulder  
  
"So, is that why you went all emotional at breakfast the other morning?" asked Snape after he realized that Harry was indeed not joking  
  
"Partly, yes" replied Harry  
  
"What changed your mind from almost willing to give up to never giving up?" asked Snape as he looked imploringly at his former student  
  
"Well, you would be amazed at just how convincing a phoenix can be when she is in the mood to make you see that you are in the wrong" said Harry with a laugh and the potions professor let a small smirk grace his own features  
  
"I would imagine so, but I have never had the honor of talking to one so I would not know" he replied "I take it the particular phoenix you are speaking of is Terres? The one who gave you your staff?" he asked with his brow furrowed  
  
"One and the same. She returned last night to talk some sense into me, if nothing else" said Harry  
  
"I would like to see the animal who can make the famous Harry Potter see reason when no humans could do the same" said Snape in a serious tone  
  
"Perhaps she will stay around for a little while and you will be able to" said Harry with a shrug before they again lapsed into silence and gazed at the rising sun that was reflected off the surface of the peaceful lake.  
  
"I have been wondering how you are able to speak to phoenixes, you got the ability to speak to snakes from Voldemort, but neither myself nor the headmaster could figure out how you got the ability to speak to Terres" said Snape suddenly  
  
"Not just Terres, first I talked to Fawkes" corrected Harry  
  
"I wasn't aware of that" muttered Snape with a look of contemplation on his face "Do you know how it is that you can speak to them?"  
  
"Not a clue" said Harry truthfully and Snape outright laughed at his answer  
  
"Well, at least you are honest" he finally managed to sputter out, and the image of Snape unable to control his laughter became one that Harry would remember for the rest of his life, because it was not very often that the sallow skinned, greasy haired man was unable to control ANYTHING. The pair lapsed into silence once again and returned to their own thoughts.  
  
"Well, Potter, I believe that the rest of the school is already at breakfast, and I don't know about you, but I would like to eat before classes this morning" said Snape once the sun had fully risen and the grounds were bathed in a warm early autumn glow.  
  
Without saying a word, Harry stood and followed the potions professor into the castle and to the great hall for breakfast.  
  
The day passed quickly, with Harry's day taken up with three classes before lunch, and a trip to Hogesmede with Ginny afterwards since neither of them had any afternoon classes. Ginny was very pleased with Harry's brighter attitude, and it made for a very pleasant afternoon for just the two of them, away from the distractions of the castle and the other occupants of the massive school, and for a few hours at least, they were both able to put Voldemort out of their thoughts and just enjoy the others company.  
  
They returned to the castle just before dinner and proceeded straight to the great hall to eat, not having time to go to their rooms first. Harry left Ginny near the middle of the Gryffindor table and proceeded to the head table at a fast walk, as he felt the eyes of every student on his back, his scarlet cloak billowing out behind him and staff clicking on the marble floor with every step.  
  
He reached his seat and sat down, looking toward the headmaster who was just standing to give the evenings announcements when the doors to the great hall opened with a loud bang and in strode four people who were very familiar to Harry, but all he could do is stare back at them even though they had yet to notice him, they were too caught up in their own conversation, bordering on argument, that was heard throughout the entire otherwise silent hall.  
  
"Would you please just grow up you two and give me back my book!?" demanded a girl with long auburn hair as she faced two boys who were tossing a small leather bound book back and forth while a third boy just looked to them disapprovingly.  
  
"Really Padfoot, Prongs, come on, just give Lily her diary back so we can eat" said the smallest of the boys, one with light brown hair and a tired expression on his face  
  
"Aw, come on Moony, have some fun, this is our last year here, lighten up" said the tallest of the boys as he tossed the book over the girls head while pushing his shoulder length black hair out of his face.  
  
"Maybe he's right, Padfoot, maybe we should just give it back to her, I'm really hungry and I don't want my girlfriend any more mad at me than she already is" said the last boy, who had messy black hair and was wearing black framed glasses.  
  
All four of them were completely oblivious to the silence surrounding them, and the several students who were beginning to make connections as their eyes flickered back and forth from three silent figures at the head table to the four who were still arguing.  
  
"All right, Prongs, I agree, but I'm warning you, Lily, next time you leave your diary lying around, we will figure out how to take off the locking charms and read it" said the boy with the longer black hair in a mock lecturing tone.  
  
"Neither of you could ever even hope to figure out the charms on this" said the girl after she had her diary safely back in her hands "In fact, if it weren't for me, neither of you would even pass charms" she added as she tucked the book into her bag and began to look around the hall, just as the three boys were doing.  
  
"Um, are we interrupting something?" asked the girl hesitantly after she had gazed around the entire hall and the students, her eyes passing right over the still stunner form of Harry at the head table.  
  
"Yeah, you all act as though you've never seen us before"  
  
"Actually, Padfoot, I think they look more like they've just seen four ghosts"  
  
"I agree, Prongs, why do you think they look so shocked?"  
  
"I believe I can answer that question for you" said a voice from the front and the four turned to look at Dumbledore as did the rest of the hall, except for Harry who was beginning to repeatedly bang his head onto the surface of the table "Perhaps you four should join me" he suggested as he walked down the aisle toward them with an amused smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. Not saying another word, the four strange students followed him from the hall and into the chamber behind it, leaving the rest of the school in shocked silence behind them.  
  
Once the doors were closed though, the hall erupted in noise and the teachers all gathered around Harry, Remus, and Sirius who still looked shocked.  
  
"What is going on here?" demanded Snape  
  
"I would like to know as well" added McGonagall just as several of the other teachers began to speak as well, making it impossible for anyone to hear Harry as he tried to get their attention from where they were interrogating Remus and Sirius who were swearing that they had no idea why their younger selves were in the future.  
  
"QUIET!" yelled Harry finally, and the entire hall fell silent immediately "Students, please go back to your meals, we will explain everything when we know what is going on ourselves" he said as he looked out toward the silent students before turning back toward the professors and speaking quietly "I think I have an idea what is going on" he began "And I know for a fact that those four students were Remus, Sirius, and my parents, James and Lily, who have come forward in time from their seventh year in school, but how I don't know for sure, but once we find out, I'm sure the headmaster will inform you. Remus, Sirius, maybe we should go to Dumbledore's office and see if he needs any help" he said as he stood and picked up his staff from beside his chair. Obediently, the two older men stood as well and followed Harry into the chamber just behind the great hall where the headmaster was standing with the four very confused students.  
  
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When James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily had finished their teasing argument, they had become aware of the entire population of the great hall starring at them. They were not only confused by these actions, but also a little scared, they couldn't see a single familiar face in the entire room, that is until the headmaster spoke up. He looked the same as ever, but there was something different about him, something they couldn't put their fingers on. Wanting to know what was going on though, they obediently followed the old man from the hall and into a small chamber located directly behind it where they heard the most incredible story.  
  
"Well, Mr. Potter, Miss. Evans, Mr. Lupin, Mr. Black, I imagine that your four have many questions to ask" said Dumbledore once they had all settled into the chairs in front of the large fire.  
  
"Yes sir, we do" began Remus "Why was everyone acting so strange when we came into the hall?"  
  
"That, I'm afraid, is a complicated question to answer, but perhaps to answer it simply is the best option" said Dumbledore as he looked toward the ceiling of the room and took a deep breath "I'm afraid that you four were somehow brought over twenty years into the future"  
  
"What?!" exclaimed four voices as one before the aged headmaster began to chuckle  
  
"Well, you can imagine just how shocked the students were to see you four walk in, and as seventeen year olds none the less"  
  
"Wait, I don't understand. Why would they be so shocked to see us? Did we become famous or something?" asked Sirius  
  
"Yes, in fact, three of you are quite well known, and two of you also happen to teach at the school now, and I don't doubt that many of the more intelligent students noticed the resemblance between you immediately, and once you mentioned each others names, their suspicions were confirmed"  
  
"Wow, so three of us are famous, and two of us teach here, who does what?" asked James  
  
"Mr. Potter, perhaps I should wait to tell you anymore until Harry arrives, he will be able to explain things much quicker and more thoroughly than I could" said the headmaster as he settled back into his chair "While we are waiting, would any of you care for a cup of tea?" he asked pleasantly  
  
"No thank you sir" said Lily politely, but James wasn't about to be so easily deterred  
  
"Who is this Harry? And how can he explain all of this better than you? You're the most powerful wizard in the world, surely you already know what is going on"  
  
"Ah, Mr. Potter, I'm afraid that many things can change in over twenty years, and as for Harry, you have already met him, you just don't remember it" said the headmaster with a mischievous twinkle in his eye and James knew that he would get nothing else out of him until this Harry arrived.  
  
The group sat in silence for several minutes, the students all mulling over their own thoughts about what had happened, and the headmaster wondering what exactly had happened until the doors opened once again and Harry walked in.  
  
"Good evening, Harry, I trust things have calmed down marginally among the students" greeted Dumbledore as he got to his feet, and the four students, not knowing what else to do, followed suite and turned to see the infamous Harry.  
  
When the four students set eyes on the person standing behind them, their first impression was that he was powerful, no more than powerful, infinitely more. His entire stance radiated strength, not just physical, but magical as well. Their eyes traveled from his feet which were clad in black leather boots, up the black pants and long sleeved collard black shirt, to the rich, flowing scarlet cloak that was trimmed in the finest gold fabric and clasped with a phoenix with its wings outstretched in flight, made of beautiful gold as well. They then noticed the staff which was clasped in his right hand, made of dark wood trimmed in gold as well, and on the head of it was another phoenix, also looking as though it were in mid flight, and in its talons it held a blood red stone that glowed with hidden energy. The hand that held the staff was gripping so tightly that his knuckles were white, but many ragged scars could still be seen marring the pale skin, and the other hand was also littered with the crisscrossing scars. They then dared to look at his face, and all four of them were startled to see that he was young, very young, not more than a year or so older than them, but his eyes looked older than the headmasters, and full of pain that was radiating from their brilliant green depths. His hair was long, and tied away from his face in a low pony tail, and it was the color of the darkest black with not a single strand any different color. His face also bore signs of previous injuries, with one scar slicing across his left cheekbone and down to his jaw line, and another over his left eyebrow, but the strangest looking scar was the one in the shape of a bolt of lightning on his forehead which captured all of their attention.  
  
"Headmaster, what have you told them so far?" asked Harry as he looked directly at the four teens who all shifted their gazes away from his intimidating gaze  
  
"Only that they are no longer in their own time, I thought it would be best for you to explain things to them" said the white haired man as he smiled at Harry "Ah, I see you have brought help along" he added as he saw the two professors standing behind Harry who were both gazing at the teens just as intently as they had been looking at Harry.  
  
"Yes, I thought it might be easier if they saw someone familiar" said Harry which only served to confuse the four students even more  
  
"Excuse me, but who are you? And how did we get here?" asked Lily suddenly  
  
Harry just looked at her in bewilderment "You mean you don't remember?" he asked as he gazed from her to the three boys  
  
"Remember what?" asked James  
  
"Harry, I thought the memory charm would be taken off if they ever saw you again?" said Sirius as he looked to his godson with worry  
  
"It was supposed to, but as you can see, it didn't work as it was intended, like the other spell" said Harry warily  
  
"Wait, what are you two talking about? What memory charm?" asked the older Remus as he looked from Harry to Sirius to Dumbledore  
  
"Well, Moony, after we met with Albus the morning after Harry got his staff, we went into the past and didn't return until the evening of the feast" said Sirius in a rush and the four teens all looked to the brown haired man in shock, realizing that he was indeed an older version of their Remus.  
  
"What!? You were in the past? But why?" demanded the older werewolf  
  
"I'll explain everything later, Remus, but right now we need to take the memory charms off of these four and then figure out how they got here" said Harry as he lifted his staff and directed it toward James  
  
"Wait! What are you doing?" he demanded as he backed away from Harry in fear  
  
"Stay still, I'm just going to take the charm off of you" said Harry as he tried again to aim his staff at the teenaged version of his father  
  
"How do we know what you are saying is true, and that you aren't really death eaters just trying to trick us?" asked Sirius as he stepped forward to protect his friend.  
  
Harry sighed heavily before lowering his staff "We aren't death eaters, I can assure you" he said  
  
"Prove it" demanded James  
  
"Fine, do you have the marauders map?" asked Harry, ignoring the shocked expressions on their faces when he asked for the item by name  
  
"How did you know about that?" asked Remus warily  
  
"That's not important, do you have the map James?" asked Harry again  
  
"Yes, why?" he asked  
  
"Well, it tells the true identity of the person, even if they are under the influence of poly juice potion, and if you look at it you will see that we are in fact who we say we are" explained Harry and he was relieved when James pulled the parchment from the bag that was still hanging from his shoulder.  
  
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good" he whispered as he touched his wand to the corner of the map. A few moments later, all four teens gasped as they read the words on the map "Ok, so you are Padfoot, and you are Moony" said James as he looked to the two professors who both nodded mutely "so, who exactly are you?" asked James as he looked right at Harry who gave a lopsided grin, despite his worry  
  
"Your future son" he said simply and nearly laughed when four pairs of eyes nearly bulged out of their heads "Now do you trust me enough to remove the charm?" he asked "It will help to explain things a lot faster"  
  
"I guess so" conceded James as he looked to his friends and Harry once again raised his staff which emitted a pale yellow light as the charm was lifted and the previous blank expressions were replaced by understanding "I remember!" exclaimed James triumphantly before he sobered a little "Why did you cast that before you said goodbye? I thought we meant more to you than that" he asked as he fixed Harry with a piercing gaze which Harry turned away from.  
  
"Why don't we go back to dinner, we can talk about his in the morning" he said suddenly "We will tell the students the truth about who you are, but don't mention anything about what you remember, no one else should know about that" he said as he turned on his heel and strode from the room, the other occupants sharing concerned and confused looks before they followed him.  
  
Harry led them into the great hall and while Dumbledore explained the situation to the students and the rest of the professors, Harry led the four of them to the Gryffindor table and over toward Ginny.  
  
"Gin, could you do me a favor?" he whispered into her ear  
  
"Sure, Harry, anything" she said with her brow furrowed in confusion  
  
"Good, can you keep an eye on these four while I try to figure out what's going on and how they got here?" he asked  
  
"Sure, I'd be glad to" she said with a smile as she stood and faced the other seventh years "Hi, I'm Ginny Weasley, Harry's girlfriend" she greeted as she shook all of their hands in turn.  
  
"Hi, I'm James Potter, and this is my girlfriend Lily Evans and our friends Remus Lupin and Sirius Black" said James hesitantly  
  
"Pleased to meet you, have a seat" said Ginny as she indicated the extra room at the table that the other students had made for them before she turned back to Harry "What's going on?" she asked in concern  
  
"I have no idea, but I am going to find out soon" he assured her as he gently squeezed her hand "Thanks for keeping an eye on them, I don't want them to find out too much if it can be prevented, they already know that James and Lily die and Sirius gets sent to prison and a few other things, but they don't need to find out too much more" he said with a frown, thinking about everything that his parents DIDN'T know about his life, and how they would react if they knew of his experiences with Voldemort, or the dark mark on his arm, or the fact that the evil wizard was inside of him at the current moment.  
  
"Don't worry, Harry, I'll keep an eye on them" assured Ginny "Go talk to Dumbledore and maybe you can figure all of this out" she said as she sat back down in her seat  
  
"Thanks, Gin, I'll come by the common room later tonight and explain everything" he told her as he leaned over her shoulder and gently kissed her cheek before turning to leave the great hall.  
  
"Explain what?" asked Ginny to herself, earning concerned glances from the four new students.  
  
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A/N: Short chapter, I know, but at least I got something posted when I said I would, right? Review and let me know what you think, and I'll post the next one hopefully tomorrow or Thursday. Thanks! 


	51. Learning the Truth and Accepting It

Chapter 51  
  
When Harry left the great hall, he immediately proceeded toward the rooms he shared with Sirius. Without saying anything other than the password to the painting guarding the entrance, he practically ran into the room and with a wave of his hand, the portrait slammed closed behind him, the sound echoing around the entire corridor.  
  
"HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN SO STUPID?!" he exclaimed as he slammed his fist into the wall next to him, oblivious to the pain that snaked up his arm as he did so and the dent he left in the wall "Why can't anything ever work like it is supposed to?" he moaned in a quieter voice as he leaned against the wall and sank to the floor, shaking his head and too lost in his own misery and to even notice the arrival of Remus, Sirius, Snape, and Dumbledore several minutes later.  
  
"Harry" said Sirius gently as he knelt down in front of his godson, but Harry didn't even seem to see or hear him "Harry, look at me" he tried again, but was just as unsuccessful as the first time and he turned to look at the three men behind him in bewilderment and worry "Albus, what's wrong with him?" he asked the headmaster  
  
"I don't know, but this must all be a bit of a shock for him, it will just take time for it all to sink in" said the old man and the other three all nodded in agreement, Remus and Snape having been told about Harry and Sirius going to the past in search of Voldemort's daughter and the spell that he had placed to bring her to Hogwarts.  
  
"He never thought he would have to face James and Lily again, and then they turn up a dinner" said Sirius heavily as he settled himself on the floor in a more comfortable position so he could wait for Harry to snap out of whatever world he was in.  
  
Harry, meanwhile, had the same string of thoughts running circles around his mind. 'How could this have happened? I am supposed to be the most powerful wizard of all time, and I can't even cast a simple spell right, I have to go and mess up the only way we have to kill Voldemort for good, and now he's won and there's nothing I can do to stop it. We can't go back again, it wouldn't work, and now I somehow blew our only chance of getting this girl. I am such a bloody idiot, I just condemned the world to certain death, I have as good as already killed everyone, including Ginny, and when they do die, it will all be my fault because I wasn't powerful enough to cast the spell right. It's all going to be my fault' he thought miserably, over and over again, and the only thing he had to be thankful for was that Voldemort was keeping his mouth shut, apparently he was discouraging himself enough without the evil wizards help. He continued his self berating for over an hour while the four professors sat in silence around the room, Sirius stationed on the floor next to him. Suddenly, though, Snape jumped to his feet with a hiss of pain, his eyes wide and his right hand clasped over his left forearm.  
  
"Severus, what is it?" asked Dumbledore in concern as he too got to his feet  
  
"Voldemort" was all the black haired man had to say before the others were put on the alert and they all drew their wands and aimed them directly at the boy who was still sitting perfectly still on the floor. Cautiously, Sirius leaned toward Harry and picked up his left arm and turned it over as he rolled up the sleeve of his robes and cloak, allowing Sherlock to slither away before the dark mark was revealed, and it confirmed what they all feared. It was blacker than they had ever seen it before, and the edges were beginning to weep dark red blood. Frightened, Sirius dropped the arm and looked at his godson's face, and was even more frightened to see that blood red eyes were looking right back at him. He scrambled backward until his back hit the wall, and he aimed his wand right at his godson's body, the promise he had made to Harry ringing in his ears and causing his wand arm to shake.  
  
Harry's face broke into a maniacal grin before he began to speak in a bone chilling tone "Don't worry, my time has not yet come, the foolish boy hasn't given up fully, yet, but he will, sooner than you think, and when he does, this school will be the first to submit to me, and you will be the first to fall. There is nothing you can do to stop me, I will have control, and I will win, sooner than you think. Potter is not strong enough to resist me for much longer" and with that, Harry shook his head and emerald green eyes were looking straight at Sirius. "This can't be good" he said in a conversational tone before getting to his feet and sitting heavily in one of the large arm chairs in front of the fire.  
  
"Um, Harry, are you ok?" asked Sirius after several silent minutes had passed and no one but Harry himself had moved from their previous spots, in fact, the four men still had their wands in their hands.  
  
"Huh? Oh, Yeah, Sirius, I'm fine" said Harry absentmindedly as he turned his attention back to the fire. After several more minutes, Sirius, Remus, Dumbledore, and Snape finally joined Harry in front of the fire and looked to him in concern.  
  
"Harry?" said Dumbledore, trying to get the eighteen year old wizards attention, and he was rewarded when he was fixed with a emerald green gaze  
  
"I think I know what happened" said Harry without preamble or explanation "When I cast the spell while we were in the past, I used the staff to identify Voldemort's magical signature, but something must have happened and it identified mine as well, and brought my parents here" he said as he looked to each of the professors in turn  
  
"Are you sure that is what happened, Harry?" asked Dumbledore and he was met with confused looks from all the others in the room  
  
"Of course, sir, it's the only way the spell could have brought them here" said Harry with confidence  
  
"What are you thinking, Albus?" asked Snape when he saw the contemplating look on the headmasters face  
  
"Oh, nothing, just thinking about all the other possibilities, but perhaps I would be more convinced if we were to speak to the students" he said with a small smile "Harry, could you please go get them, I believe that they are in Gryffindor tower with Ginny" he said, and Harry, although irritated about having to leave, obediently left the quarters. He made his way to the tower quickly, and once he had arrived, he gave the password and scrambled in and was not surprised to see that the only people still awake were the four he was looking for and Ginny.  
  
"The headmaster wants to speak with you" he said shortly before sending Ginny a longing smile and leaving the tower with the four students from the past on his heels.  
  
"So, Harry, how have you been since you left?" asked Lily after several minutes of silent walking.  
  
"Busy, you?" asked Harry without turning his head to look at her  
  
"Fine" answered Lily, but before she could say anymore, James interrupted her  
  
"So, have you figured out why or how we got here?" he asked  
  
"I know how, but I don't know why" answered Harry  
  
"Well, how did we get here?" asked Sirius when it became obvious that Harry wasn't going to elaborate on his own  
  
"I will tell you later, but right now we need to figure out how to get you home" said Harry, not really wanting to get onto the subject of how terribly he had apparently screwed up.  
  
When they reached the stone gargoyle, Harry tapped it lightly with his staff and it immediately sprang aside, allowing the five students in. Once they had ridden the staircase to the top, Harry knocked on the large wooden door and they heard someone from inside call for them to enter.  
  
"Ah, Harry, I have been expecting you" said the headmaster when the black haired boy walked in  
  
"I brought the others, sir, what did you want to talk about?" asked Harry once he had taken a seat across from the aged man.  
  
"Yes, well, I think it is only right that we tell our friends just how they were brought here" said Dumbledore while looking at Harry unblinking  
  
"Do they really need to know how they got here?" asked Harry dejectedly  
  
"Yes, they do, and perhaps they could tell us just what they were doing when they were brought to us" he answered  
  
"Fine" mumbled Harry, sounding remarkably like a five year old "But why don't we listen to what they know first" he suggested, hoping to delay the inevitable for as long as possible  
  
"Very well" said the headmaster with an amused twinkle in his eye "James, Sirius, Remus, Lily, which of you would like to explain what you were doing when you were brought here?" he asked the four students, who, up until now had remained silent as they watched the exchange between Harry and Dumbledore in amazement, not believing that anyone could know and be known so well by the respected and famous man, and be able to talk to him like he was just any other person and not the most powerful man in the world.  
  
"Ok, well, we were on our way to dinner, and we decided to try and take a short cut down one of the side hallways" began James "And Lily's bag broke and her diary fell out. Sirius picked it up and started to run away with it and Remus tried to make him give it back. We all ended up trying to get it ourselves, each of us pulling on it, and then Sirius ended up with it and started to run towards the great hall. We all ran after him until we opened the doors, and then you know what happened" he said with a shrug of his shoulders as he looked to the others for conformation  
  
"So, at one point, all four of you were holding onto the book?" asked Dumbledore with his brow furrowed  
  
"Yes, why?" asked Sirius, but instead of answering his question, Dumbledore just asked another  
  
"Had you ever gone down this particular hallway before?"  
  
"Not since before Christmas" answered Lily, bewildered by his line of questions "What are you getting at, sir?" she asked  
  
"Harry, why don't you tell them about the spell" suggested the older man after several silent moments  
  
Harry, although unwillingly, obeyed and turned to face the other four "Well, if you remember, I told you that Sirius and I were looking for a girl to bring back with us, right?" he began, and when he was met with four nods, he continued "as it turns out, we never did find her, and our time was running out, so the headmaster told me about a spell that would recognize a certain persons magical signature. I cast the spell on one of the less used hallways and combined it with a spell to bring her to us in this time. Obviously, though, the spell didn't work the way it was supposed to, I must have set it to recognize my own magical signature instead, so it brought James and Lily here, and you must have walked through it while you were fighting over the diary so it brought Remus and Sirius here as well since you were all touching it, connecting the four of you in a way" he said and he turned back to the headmaster and was surprised to see his face still lined with thought "Sir, what's wrong?" he asked in concern  
  
"Nothing, Harry, I was just trying to remember some things" he said tiredly before he looked directly to Harry with a sudden dawning "Harry, tell me, were you completely focused when you cast that spell?" he asked eagerly  
  
"Yes sir, I think so, why?" asked Harry in confusion  
  
"I thought as much, now be honest with me, have you ever cast a spell that didn't work properly while you were using your staff?" he asked quickly  
  
"Other than this one, no" answered Harry skeptically after several moments of thought "Why?"  
  
"Well, Harry, have you considered the idea that perhaps your spell did work properly?" he asked quietly, ignoring the other four students in the room and focusing solely on Harry.  
  
Upon hearing his words, Harry jumped from his seat and a dark cloud of anger flashed across his face as his eyes almost turned to ice with defiance and his grip tightened on his staff before he spoke in a harsh and bone chillingly cold voice "I don't know what you are suggesting, sir, but I can assure you that you are mistaken" he said crisply as he sent the old man a piercing glare.  
  
"Harry, calm down" said Dumbledore forcefully, not wanting a repeat of what had happened in the defense classroom several months before "I am just asking you to think about the possibility, nothing more" he said gently and was relieved when Harry took several deep breaths before relaxing slightly.  
  
"Dumbledore, I refuse to consider such a thing and I don't see how you could even suggest it" he said once he had regained some composure  
  
"Harry, I know you don't want to think about it, but it could help to explain some unanswered questions, just think about it, would you? And if you decide to, we could perform a spell to determine if it is true or if I am just being a foolhardy old man. Give yourself some time to think about it, and then come and let me know what you want to do" he said as he stood and placed a reassuring hand on Harry's shoulder "Until then, they can stay with the Gryffindor students in the tower and attend classes with Ginny" he said, his attention once more going back to their four spectators  
  
"Fine" spat out Harry "I'll think about it, but right now I need some air" and with that being said, he spun around and left the office with his cloak billowing out behind him, leaving Dumbledore and the three marauders and Lily in his wake.  
  
"What was that all about, sir?" asked Remus  
  
"Nothing for you to be concerned with, I assure you" he said kindly, but Lily spoke up anyways  
  
"Professor, sir, who do you think I am?" she asked quietly and when the three boys looked to her in curiosity, she elaborated "You said that you were looking for a girl and that the spell was cast to bring her here, and you seem to think it worked right and seeing as I'm the only girl here, you must have been talking about me, so who do you think I am that Harry refuses to believe?" she asked again  
  
"I will let Harry explain everything to you when he feels ready, but until then, perhaps you had better get back to the tower, you do have classes in the morning. The password is hinkypink" he said, signaling the end of the conversation.  
  
Obediently, the four students left the office and made their way in silence toward Gryffindor tower, and Ginny noticing their dejected looking faces and the absence of Harry left immediately. They all settled around the window, not surprised to see in the distance a red haired girl walking out toward the far side of the lake where a solid black unicorn was sitting and starring at the stars, completely lost in thought, but when she arrived, he looked to her before molding smoothly into the form of Harry who quickly pulled her into his arms where she remained long after the four watching went off to bed.  
  
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When Harry left Dumbledore's office, he practically fled into the forbidden forest, trying desperately to out run the words he had heard. There was no way he could be related to Voldemort, he just wouldn't accept that. He was not the grandson of the most evil wizard to ever live, no matter what others might think. With these thoughts in mind, he transformed into a black unicorn in mid stride and went galloping into the forest. He ran as hard as he could for several minutes before deciding to return to the lake.  
  
Folding his legs beneath himself, he lay down on the far side of the lake from the castle and looked toward the stars while he considered the implications of just what Dumbledore had suggested, finally considering what it would mean if he were right.  
  
True, it would mean that he was indeed related to Voldemort, but he wasn't like Voldemort, he kept telling himself, he would never be like him. It also meant that they had indeed found the girl they had been looking for, and that he could finally be rid of the dark lord once and for all, but there was more to it than that. It meant that Harry would be responsible for the death of one of his only remaining relatives, and the closest relation that was still living. He finally understood what Voldemort had meant when he had asked if Harry could kill a family member like he would be asking his mother to do if indeed she were Voldemort's daughter.  
  
As he was thinking these thoughts, he heard the sound of leaves crunching beneath someone's feet as they made their way to the lake. Looking up, he saw the familiar silhouette of Ginny. He watched her as she approached him, her arms wrapped tightly around her thin frame and her head bowed against the fierce wind that was whipping her long auburn hair out behind her. Once she was within a meter of the black unicorn, she stopped and looked directly into his emerald eyes as he got to his feet and transformed into himself again before he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, not even wondering how she knew it had been him sitting out there. They remained in that position for a long time, neither wanting to let the other go, but finally, Harry broke the embrace and looked down at his girlfriend with his brow furrowed.  
  
"Gin, what are you doing out here, it's freezing" he said as he pulled his own cloak from his shoulders and wrapped it around her, the scarlet of the cloak making her red hair look even brighter.  
  
"Well, when I saw the marauders and Lily coming back without you, I got worried. I figured I would find you out here though, so I came to see if you were all right" she said with a shrug of her shoulders as she pulled the cloak tighter around her shivering shoulders "What happened?" she finally asked as she looked up worriedly into Harry's eyes.  
  
"You might want to sit down, this is going to be a long story" he said as he sat down himself on the hard ground and pulled her into his lap, trying to ignore the fierce cold that was eating into his own bones.  
  
Once Ginny had settled herself comfortably onto his lap, he began his tale, leaving nothing out. He told her everything, beginning with the dream he had had about Voldemort talking about his daughter and the meeting with Dumbledore about being able to kill Voldemort's spirit for good if they found his daughter, and the trip into the past, and about meeting his parents and Voldemort taking his staff, and the battle between them, and his argument with Sirius and his modifying the memories of everyone involved. He then told her about the spell that he had set up to bring Voldemort's daughter to the present time. He then told her about the meeting he had just had with the headmaster and what he had suggested, but there, Ginny interrupted him.  
  
"He thinks that your mother is Voldemort's daughter?" she breathed quietly  
  
"Yes, that's what he said, but I don't know if I believe him or not" admitted Harry  
  
"Why?" she asked in curiosity  
  
"Well, on the one hand, I don't want to even think that I have anything at all in common with that monster, and I don't see how I could be even distantly related to someone that evil, but on the other hand, he could be right" he said quietly as he looked out over the lake towards the sleeping castle  
  
"Why do you say that?" asked Ginny  
  
"Well, it would explain a few things, like why my mother looked nothing like my aunt, and how she was so powerful for being a muggle born witch. It also explains how I got to be so powerful, Dumbledore even said that I could only get so much magical strength from my father's family, and that he didn't even know where the rest came from, and it also explains why the sorting hat wanted to place me in Slytherin" he admitted "This at least would answer those questions for me"  
  
"Yes, but do you really think that it could be possible?" she asked hesitantly  
  
"The more I think about it, the more likely it is" he said slowly as he looked at her, his expression looking almost ashamed "I just don't know what to think if it is true"  
  
"Harry, if it is true, it won't change anything, you will still be the same person, no matter who you are related to" she said, trying to reassure him  
  
"But, what will everyone think, Gin? How can I face anyone knowing that my grandfather was responsible for killing so many people? What would I say to them?" he asked almost desperately  
  
"Harry, what he has done has nothing to do with you. The things he did were terrible, but I know that if you could have stopped him, you would have" she said confidently  
  
"Are you sure, Gin? Now that I know the truth, I don't know if I would have been able to. How could I kill my grandfather, the closest relative I have?" he asked her in a voice barley above a whisper  
  
"Because, Harry, you have always put everyone else above yourself, no matter what the consequences" she said  
  
"But can I do the same this time?" he asked her in worry "Can I be responsible for killing my grandfather? Or asking my mother to kill her father?"  
  
"I don't know Harry, but I do know that you will do what is right. He may be your grandfather, but I can assure you that he doesn't consider you his grandson, just look at what he has done to you throughout the years. It may be hard, but you will do what is right" she said in confidence as she leaned over and gave him a soft kiss.  
  
"Thanks, Gin" he said after several silent moments "Maybe we should get back inside before someone starts to worry about us" he suggested  
  
"Sounds good" she said as she crawled off his lap and stood before holding out her hand to help him up as well, but she drew back when he tool hold of her hand "Harry, why didn't you tell me you were so cold? I would have given you back your cloak" she scolded as she pulled the cloak from her own shoulder and handed it to him and he gratefully wrapped himself in it again.  
  
"Sorry, Gin, but I didn't think it was important. Besides, you were cold too, coming out here in just your robes" he reminded her with a wary smile "Come on, let's get back to the castle and go to bed" he said as he wrapped an arm around her waist and set off toward the castle.  
  
Both were oblivious to the eyes that were watching them as they left from the edge of the forest, which had overheard the entire conversation. "Well, Potter, this is an interesting development indeed. Who would have thought that you were the one to be holding our master's spirit? Just you wait, we will free him, no matter what it takes" said a deep voice confidently before the sound of rustling leaves could be heard as the person left and a few seconds later there was a faint pop as they disappeared from the school grounds.  
  
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Once Harry and Ginny entered the castle, they made their way toward the marble staircase, but before they had even reached it, Harry was knocked to the ground when he ran headfirst into something invisible, and since he still had his arm around Ginny, she was pulled down as well, both landing in an unceremonious heap on the marble floor.  
  
"Oomph" said Ginny as she fell on top of Harry  
  
"Who's there?" demanded Harry, but he was met with only silence "You had better show yourselves at once, or you will regret it" he warned, but still there was silence meeting their ears "Fine, you asked for it" he said as he untangled one arm from Ginny and stretched it out in front of himself, and a moment later, he was holding an invisibility cloak in his hand and three marauders and a very embarrassed Lily were looking at him. "What are you four up to?" he asked when he realized that there was no danger.  
  
"Well, we saw Ginny leave the castle, and go down to the lake to see you, so we went to bed, but Lily came to get us a couple of minutes ago and said that you were still not back. We got curious and decided to come and see what you were up to" said Sirius with a shrug of his shoulders "So, what were you up to?" he asked with a mischievous grin on his face which caused all of the others to groan loudly.  
  
"Nothing like that, I can assure you, Sirius. We were just talking" said Harry as he got to his feet and recovered his staff before helping Ginny off the floor as well.  
  
"Oh, sure" said Sirius with a smirk "That's what James and Lily always say too" he added with a sideways look to his friends who both shot him death glares.  
  
"Well, now that you found us, you had better head back to Gryffindor tower before you get caught" said Harry, but just as he said the words, another voice spoke up from behind him.  
  
"Too late, Harry, they have already been caught" said the oily voice of Snape. Upon hearing the voice, all six students turned around to see him, and the four from the past felt their jaws drop in shock and horror.  
  
"Snape?!" they all exclaimed at once, not believing their eyes, and Harry was forced to control the laughter he was feeling at seeing their expressions.  
  
"Professor Snape, to you" growled the potions master as he came to a stop next to the group and surveyed James and Lily for a moment.  
  
"You're a professor? Of what?" demanded Sirius  
  
"Potions, for your information" he said crisply "And I will be seeing the four of you in detention tonight at midnight for being out in the halls after curfew" he added with a smirk  
  
"What!? You can't give us detention!" exclaimed James  
  
"Oh yes I can, and I just did" he said "Remember, midnight tonight in the potions classroom, I trust you remember where it is?" he asked, but instead of waiting for an answer, he turned to face Harry who was still trying hard not to laugh "Harry, I was asked to find you and bring you to the headmaster. He wishes to speak to all of us about what happened this evening. Miss Weasley, would you please escort your housemates back to their dormitories?" he asked, being almost kind to the red head.  
  
"Sire, sir, come on guys, night Harry" she said as she squeezed his hand before letting go and led the four still shocked students up the stairs, amazed herself at how nice Snape had been to herself and Harry since the beginning of the previous term, especially compared to how terribly he still treated the rest of the Gryffindor students.  
  
Once the others had made their way up the stairs and were out of earshot, Harry turned to the man standing beside him with his brow furrowed "Who else is coming to meet with us?" he asked, though he was fairly certain of the answer already  
  
"Lupin, Black, Weasley, Granger, Malfoy, and Poppy" he answered as he turned and began to make his way in the direction of the headmasters office "Apparently he wants to bring everyone else who knows about what is going on up to speed, so to say, and he informed Poppy about everything this evening so that she can be present when you take the potion and when the spell is cast" he answered without turning to Harry  
  
"So, I guess he is certain now that Voldemort's daughter was my mother then" said Harry glumly  
  
"Apparently so, he was able to obtain her birth certificate from a muggle hospital, stating her mothers name as Susan Evans Riddle, and Tom Marvolo Riddle as her father, though she was given her mothers maiden name as her own last name" he explained and Harry felt as though a tight constriction was around his heart and that his stomach had turned to ice.  
  
"So, it's true then, he is my grandfather" he admitted quietly  
  
"Yes, it is, but I can assure you that just because you may be his blood, you are not destined to become like him. My entire family have been dark wizards, for as far back as we know, but I decided not to follow that path and instead became a spy for the light side. You are the one who decides what to make of yourself, not who you are related to" he finished, and Harry could do nothing but stare at the black haired man in shock. Who would have thought that the greasy old potions master had a heart and was capable of reassuring anyone, especially a Gryffindor?  
  
'Well,' thought Harry to himself 'Just another item to add to my list of weird things that have happened today' he thought with a smirk on his face  
  
'Well, boy, how do you fell now that you know the truth?' asked Voldemort suddenly, causing Harry to falter in his step, earning a concerned look from the potions master 'Do you honestly think that my daughter will be able to kill her own father? Will you be able to murder your own grandfather?' he asked smugly, but Harry would have none of his arrogant and traitorous words tonight. No matter how bad things had seemed a few hours ago, they were looking much better now. They had finally found Voldemort's daughter and the means to destroy him for good were within their grasp. Harry would win this battle, the final one in the war between himself and the dark lord that had been going on for far too long. He may be related to the evil wizard, but he would never be like him, never. He would win, and when he did, things would finally be starting to go right and there would be nothing Voldemort could do to change that, nothing.  
  
'Well boy, why won't you answer me? Are you frightened of your own grandfather?' he asked with a hint of cockiness lacing his words, but Harry could only think of one response that was fitting.  
  
'Shut the bloody hell up, would you' he thought and he felt the corners of his mouth turn up in a smirk by the silence that met his mind as he entered the headmasters office.  
  
"Good evening, Harry, Severus" said the headmaster kindly as Harry and Snape entered the office, the last in the meeting to arrive "I trust you have had time to think about what we spoke of earlier?" he asked almost hesitantly once the two had taken their seats, Harry between Sirius and Hermione and Snape at the other end of the room, though he couldn't resist sending Sirius and Remus smug looks, which they were confused and a little frightened of.  
  
"Good evening, sir, and yes, I have thought about what you said earlier this evening" he said with a reassuring smile on his face which the older man was more than willing to return ten fold.  
  
"Excellent!" he exclaimed "Now we can get to work and finish this once and for all" he said happily as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation.  
  
"Excuse me, Albus, but what are you two talking about?" asked Remus in confusion  
  
"Ah, yes, that is what we have called you here to discuss. Please forgive the lateness or earliness as it might be, of this meeting, but we really must get started on this immediately. Harry, would you like to fill them in on what we have found out so far? I trust Severus has informed you about what I discovered at the hospital earlier?" he asked as he looked to Harry over his half moon spectacles  
  
"Yes sir, he did" assured Harry  
  
"Good then, you may begin" said the old man, looking far too happy for a man his age  
  
Harry took a deep breath and tried to calm his rapidly beating heart before he began in a steady and calm voice, finally able to accept the truth himself and hoping his friends would be able to do the same. "Well, I guess first I need to tell you about where Sirius and I were for the end of the last term and the summer holidays" he began "During the first month, while I was at the Dursley's, I had a dream about Voldemort, it was a conversation I had overheard between Lucius Malfoy and himself. He was talking about a woman named Susan that he had married, and she was a muggle" he ignored the shocked gasps that came from many occupants of the room and continued "Well, the two of them had a daughter, but her mother gave the child her own last name instead of Riddle, for the first two years of her life, the child was raised by her parents, but one day Tom came home and his daughter was being scolded by her mother for using magic. He was angry and cast the cruciatus curse on his wife before he left. She took their daughter and left him, running away out of fear of her husband. She knew that her daughter would not be safe and that he would come after her, so she left the girl at her brother's house, whom Tom didn't know, before disappearing. When he found his wife, he killed her, and then went looking for his child, and when his wives parents couldn't tell him where she was, he killed them as well. He never did find his daughter, and after a while, gave up. He said he had seen her during her Hogwarts years, but he never spoke to her, and later, he killed her when he attacked her family. She never knew the truth about who she was, and he never told her. He said that she was too influenced by the light side to be turned. Well, as you know, we discovered a way to destroy Voldemort, but it requires a relative of myself and a relative of him to make a potion and cast a spell. Voldemort has no living relatives, so we went to the past in hopes of finding his daughter to bring her back here to help. We knew nothing about her other than that she was in the same year as my parents, and we were guessing that she was pretty powerful. Well, we never did find her while we were there, so I cast a spell to recognize the magical signature of Voldemort and bring anyone who resembled it to us so that we could do the spell and potion. When we got back here, we knew that it was just a matter of time before the spell was activated, and tonight it was. The spell I cast brought Voldemort's daughter to Hogwarts" he finished, looking around to see the reactions of those in the room.  
  
Sirius and Remus both looked shocked and horrified beyond words, and neither was moving at all, just starring at Harry with slack jaws and wide eyes. Hermione, Ron, and Draco were looking back and forth between Harry, Dumbledore, and Snape, not wanting to believe that such a thing could be true. Snape, Dumbledore, and Poppy all had closed expressions on their faces, waiting for the outbursts that they knew were about to come, and come they did.  
  
"WHAT!?" exclaimed Sirius finally and Harry just closed his eyes and shook his head before looking back to his godfather.  
  
"Yes, Sirius, it's true. Dumbledore even found my mum's birth certificate. Tom Riddle was her father" he said quietly  
  
"Are you sure, Harry? Couldn't the spell have just messed up or something?" asked Ron, but Hermione was the one to answer him.  
  
"I doubt it, Ron. I don't think Harry is capable of messing up any spell when he is using his staff" she said confidently "You were using the staff, weren't you?" she asked as she looked to her best friend, who nodded in acknowledgement.  
  
"I can't believe it" muttered Sirius under his breath "Lily was really his daughter, but she was the complete opposite of him? And so is Harry? How is that possible?" he asked as he looked to the headmaster.  
  
"Because, Sirius, our blood doesn't decide what we will become, our actions and values do, and you know as well as I that Harry and Lily have very strong values" he said with a small smile on his wrinkled face.  
  
"The question now is what do we do?" asked Remus.  
  
"We ask my mother to help kill the father she has never known" said Harry quietly.  
  
"And we will ask your father to help her. Like I told Sirius, the closer the relation to yourself, the more likely the spell and potion are to bee completely successful, and you couldn't get any closer that a parent" said Dumbledore "Now, we will finish this in the morning. Why don't you all get back to bed, we will meet again after the dueling club meeting tomorrow night, and we will ask our four time travelers to accompany us" he said, and the others all wearily got to their feet and set off in the directions of their own respective rooms and to bed, something Harry desperately needed after the stressful day he had just had.  
  
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A/N: All right, the next chapter is finally done and posted! Well, thanks for all the reviews on the last one, and I hope you enjoy this one as well, if not, at least it explains a lot of things. Anyways, who guessed right that Lily was his daughter? Well, I don't know when the next one will be up, but hopefully by Monday or Tuesday. I know I am not posting nearly as often as I was at first, but I do have good reasons. First, as some of you know, I just transferred to a new University, and I am swamped with learning my way around. My last school had 5,000 students and was pretty small, this one has 47,000 students and is huge! We have to ride busses to all of our classes, and now I have to find a job here, and I am having absolutely no luck at all. If any of you know of anyone around Texas A&M who is hiring, let me know! (Go Aggies!) Well, enough rambling, hope you enjoy this and please review, I really appreciate your comments! 


	52. Asking a Difficult Question

Chapter 52  
  
The next morning, all the students went about their days like normal, getting up early and heading off to breakfast before going to their first class of the day. Since the marauders and Lily were seventh years, they went with Ginny to Defense against the dark arts first, and were they in for a surprise. When they walked into the classroom, who else but Sirius Blake, former marauder, and Harry Potter, the future son of a marauder and Lily, were standing at the front of the class, talking quietly and ignoring the entering students.  
  
"Ginny, who is the professor for this class now?" asked Lily hesitantly, dreading the answer  
  
"Sirius and Harry teach the upper years, and Remus teaches the lower years, and Harry helps him out too whenever he needs it" she answered as she took her seat near the middle of the room, the others sliding in beside her "Why do you look so worried?" she asked when she saw the faces of all but the younger Sirius who was grinning like a maniac.  
  
"We're not worried, per say, just a little frightened" answered Remus and upon seeing her still confused expression, he continued "Just look at it this way, Padfoot here might mature a lot when he is older, but right now, the idea of him teaching anyone anything is just downright scary, no offense Padfoot" he added hastily  
  
"None taken, I'm kind of scared myself, who would have thought that I would ever be teaching anything, Remus I can understand, but me?" he asked in astonishment as he pointed to himself, but before the others could say anything else, Harry and his godfather turned and faced the class, and none of them could miss the tired expression on either of their faces.  
  
"Good morning students" began Sirius with a tired smile to the class "Today we are going to study some of the curses that can be used to ward off dark creatures. Helping us out today are two people who are in the middle of their auror training, who some of you might already know, Ronald Weasley and Draco Malfoy. Now, you will be split into four groups of five and will be placed with either myself, Harry, Ron, or Draco" he said just as the door opened to admit a red headed boy and one with platinum blonde hair who both strode up to the front of the room and spoke quietly with Harry "Now, as I call your name, I will place you with your leader" he finished before he began calling names and putting students into groups. When it was all said and done, Ginny, Remus, Sirius, James, and Lily were in a group with Draco, while Harry took a group that was weakest when it came to their magical ability.  
  
"Hello" greeted Draco as he strode up to his assigned group  
  
"Hi Draco" said Ginny kindly "Guys, this is Draco Malfoy, Draco this is Lily Evans, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black" she said as she pointed to them in turn.  
  
"Well, it is a pleasure to finally meet you" said Draco, trying to ignore the nervous and almost hostile looks he was receiving from the four new students. "Well, why don't we get started then" he said as he turned away and began to lead them to an empty corner of the room, but before he reached his destination, Harry called for him to join him for a minute, leaving Ginny alone with the four very upset students.  
  
"Hey, Draco, I thought I might warn you that those four don't get on to well you're your father" said Harry quietly, and Draco's expression darkened  
  
"Great, do you think there is any way they will believe that I'm not like him anymore?" asked Draco hesitantly  
  
"Maybe, it looks like they are receiving a dose of the Weasley temper from Ginny, I would recommend that you stay over here until she is done" suggested Harry with a smirk, and when Draco looked to his group of students, he noticed that sure enough, Ginny was looking furious  
  
"I think I'll take you up on that suggestion" muttered Draco as he continued to watch the group, glaring at Harry when he started to laugh.  
  
"Ginny, how can you trust him?" hissed Sirius angrily as soon as Draco had left "He's a Malfoy, probably the son of Lucius" he muttered darkly  
  
"Yeah, I have to agree with Padfoot on this Ginny. Clearly you don't know what kind of people you are dealing with here. First Snape, who you and Harry were both treating like a friend" he almost spat out the word "and now you are both acting chummy with a Malfoy, what is going on?" he demanded, almost backing away from the cold fury that was beginning to build in the girls eyes.  
  
"First, there are a few things you need to get straight here" she said icily "Malfoy is not his father, in fact, his father is dead, he has been for over a year, Harry killed him himself, and for your information, we are friends with Malfoy because he is nothing like his father, he was willing to sacrifice himself to try and save me when you-know-who attacked the castle, even though we were far from friends and he hated Harry at the time.  
  
And secondly, Snape is not the same person you remember from when he was a student here. He was a spy in you-know-who's inner circle until he was found out and almost killed himself, and if it weren't for him, a lot more people would have died. He has also been very supportive and protective over your son since his first year here, even though Harry didn't realize this until recently and thought he was just a bastard before that.  
  
So, I would advise you not to jump to conclusions about things you don't know anything about unless you can support your allegations. These people have fought too hard to build up these relationships, and the last thing they need right now is for them to fall" she said, breathing heavily after her rant, and seeing their shocked expressions, her own softened somewhat and she spoke in a gentler tone  
  
"Listen, I didn't mean to explode like that, I'm really sorry, but I have a lot on my mind right now, between everything Harry is having to deal with and school and my own problems, I just get a little short tempered" she said with a shy smile.  
  
"It's all right, I understand" said Lily with a grin as well "It's a curse that all red headed women are forced to deal with, short tempers and problematic men" she said playfully, earning herself a gentle punch on the arm from an indignant James.  
  
"That is hitting below the belt, Evans" he said with a hurt, but playful expression on his face.  
  
"Yes, but it is the truth love, and you know it. Between you, Padfoot, Moony, and Wormtail, I think I will be insane before I even graduate, and I imagine that your son is ten times worse. Just think about what poor Ginny has to deal with, Harry and an older brother always on her back" she said with a consoling smile on her face directed to the other girl who returned it before correcting Lily.  
  
"Actually, I not only have Harry and Ron, but five other older brothers as well" she said grimly "I'm the baby and the only girl"  
  
"Oh, how I pity you. All I have is one older sister, and she is plenty, we have never gotten along" said Lily, and Ginny couldn't help but pity her as well for having to grow up with Harry's horrid Aunt Petunia, but before she could say so, Draco returned.  
  
"Sorry guys, Harry needed to ask me something, now let's get started" he said eagerly, and within minutes, they were all learning and casting spells around the room, causing the hour to pass very quickly and before they knew it, it was time for lunch.  
  
The rest of the day sped by for the seventh year students, and once dinner had come and gone, the three marauders and Lily were more than ready to go to sleep, even though it was still early. Wearily, they got to their feet and had just started to walk toward the exit of the great hall when Ginny called to them  
  
"Hey, where are you going?" she asked as she jogged to catch up with them  
  
"Bed, its been a crazy couple of days, and we have to be in the potions classroom at midnight, we might as well try to sleep for a couple of hours before hand" said Lily as she shot glares at the three boys, clearly blaming them for the detention  
  
"Don't you want to come to the dueling club meeting tonight? It starts in about twenty minutes, and we always have a lot of fun" said Ginny, hopefully  
  
"You have a dueling club! Wicked!" exclaimed Sirius, all previous weariness forgotten in his excitement, and to Ginny's pleasure, the others seemed to share that excitement as well.  
  
"Yeah, we meet every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday night after dinner" she explained  
  
The four other students looked at each other for a moment, as though they were holding a conversation in their heads with each other before James gave their answer "Sounds like it could be fun, as long as Snape isn't the one teaching it" he said with a smile that was so similar to Harry's that Ginny was forced to return it  
  
"No, Snape doesn't teach it, Harry does" she explained, and upon hearing that, their expressions grew even more excited  
  
"Great!" exclaimed Sirius happily as he sat back down at the Gryffindor table to wait for the lesson to start, and all but Ginny were surprised by the number of students who remained, nearly every student from fifth year and up was there, as well as several from the other years, all houses equally represented, and the presence of so many Slytherin students confused Lily immensely.  
  
"Hey Ginny, Harry was a Gryffindor, right?" she asked hesitantly, and hearing her question, the three boys turned and waited anxiously for the answer.  
  
"Yes he was, why do you ask?" asked Ginny hesitantly  
  
"Well, if he was a Gryffindor, then why are there so many Slytherins willing to take lessons from him? The other houses I can understand, but why so many Slytherins?" she asked "I thought they hated all Gryffindor students, Draco might be the exception, but all the Slytherins I have ever met before now went off to become dark wizards or death eaters" she said quietly, not wanting any of the milling students to overhear her words, and the three boys all nodded their heads in agreement, and began to wonder the same thing.  
  
"Like I told you all earlier, a lot of things have changed, especially in the past two years" began Ginny "Before that, we all felt the same way about the Slytherins, and they all hated us, but during my fifth year, Harry's sixth, you-know-who and a huge army of death eaters and dementors attacked the castle" she said quietly, and the others all saw a shadow pass across her face as though she were remembering a rather terrible memory  
  
"Harry and I were outside when they came, and Harry knew they were there because his scar starts to burn anytime he is near you-know-who. I went into the forest to hide, and he went out to face him, after he had already been under the cruciatus curse from four death eaters and you-know-who at the same time. All of the students, including the Slytherins, were attacked, it didn't matter what house you were in, or who your parents were. The only ones who were spared were those who began to fight on the dark lords side.  
  
I think this caused most of them to see that the side they thought that they supported was the wrong one, and caused them to start fighting alongside the rest of the houses" she said with a small victorious smile on her face "they also saw that it meant to be truly brave, when Harry fought against you-know-who, and then was willing to sacrifice his own life in order to save me and Draco. Ever since then, the old hatreds between houses have almost completely disappeared, except on the quidditch pitch" she said with a grin.  
  
Lily, Sirius, Remus, and James could only stare at her in amazement for what she had just told them. They had seen firsthand just what Harry was capable of, but there were so many things they didn't know about him, and they just kept getting surprised. They now realized that a powerful thing it was to be truly united for a single cause, as the school was now, and they wished it could have been so in their own time, perhaps then Voldemort would never have gathered as many followers as he had, but old prejudices die hard, and that is just what Gryffindor house had always felt toward Slytherin house, prejudice, and until that changed, they would continue to be on opposite sides of the great battle field of good versus evil.  
  
Before they were able to contemplate their thoughts any further though, the hall fell silent as Harry walked in. He walked quickly to the head table and turned to face them with a smile on his face.  
  
"Good evening, I trust you have all recovered from Monday nights meeting?" he asked, and when he was met with no objections, he continued "Now, if you could all please move to the back of the hall, we need to move these tables" he said, and the students all obeyed and gathered along the back wall, and when they were all clear, Harry lifted his arms, and at his command, the four large house tables vanished and all the chairs were lined up neatly along the side walls, leaving the middle of the hall empty "Ok, now as promised, tonight we are going to have a little competition. I will put you into pairs based on your ability, and you will duel until one of you is either stunned or unarmed, the winner will then be paired with the winner of another duel, and those two will fight, and so on until there is only one remaining, and that person wins. Now, if you loose, please quickly take a seat along the edge of the hall and watch your classmates.  
  
Ok, as I call your name, please take your position with your partner, and once all of you are ready, we will begin" he said as he looked down to the roll of parchment and began to read off names and students began to find their respective partners. There were nearly four hundred students present, and it took quite some time to partner then all up, but once it was done, he looked back to all the students "Ok, now the rules are simple, any spell or curse may be used, except the unforgivable curses, or any that cause physical harm, and no physical contact, or weapons other than your wands may be used" he said with his face stern "Ok, on the count of three, bow to your partner, and begin. One, two, three" he said, and the hall was immediately filled with multicolored light, and he stood his ground and surveyed the organized chaos intently, making sure no one was injured.  
  
Ginny was partnered with a seventh year Slytherin named Jasmine Boyens, and it took her only a few spells to disarm the other girl, who smiled and took her seat with a few others who were defeated quickly. James was dueling a boy named Steven, and he too won in only a matter of minutes and went to stand next to Ginny and the two spoke quietly  
  
"You were right, this is fun" he said with a wide smile on his face just as they were joined by Sirius  
  
"Man, that was easier than I thought it would be, that Kristen girl looked tough, but she was really slow to dodge spells" he said, and a few minutes later, Lily and Remus also joined them, grinning from ear to ear with excitement. About five minutes later, all the duels had been completed, leaving only two hundred students still standing in the middle of the great hall, the others all sitting in chairs surrounding them.  
  
"Very good, all of you" said Harry as he surveyed those that had won "Now, listen up, you partners for the next match are" and he again began calling out names and within a few minutes, the second round was under way, this one lasting a little longer than the previous, but the five Gryffindors were still some of the first to win. Again, Harry partnered the remaining hundred or so students up, and again they dueled, and again, the Marauders, Lily, and Ginny were among those victorious, and to this, Harry looked very pleased. They continued until there were only ten left, and then Harry called them up to the stage where he could speak to them without the rest of the students overhearing him  
  
"Ok, first I want to say congratulations to all of you, you have all done very well so far. Now, this time, I want Ginny to go against Daniel" he said as he nodded his head to a seventh year Ravenclaw "Lily against Ian" and the Hufflepuff moved to stand next to his partner "Sirius, you will duel Jacob" he said as he pointed to the Slytherin "Remus, you and Michelle" and the Gryffindor moved over to the Ravenclaw "and James, you and Andrew" he said and the last student, a Slytherin moved next to James "Ok, now spread out around the hall, and begin when I give the word" he said and the ten students obediently did as he asked, and a few moments later, they had started to duel again, for the sixth time that night.  
  
These particular duels lasted for nearly ten minutes each, and Harry watched with pride and no small amount of amusement as the five Gryffindor students outwitted their opponents, jumping and dodging so quickly while still firing spells that he was amazed at their talent. He had seen Ginny duel on numerous occasions, but even she was doing far better than he would have ever imagined tonight, and his heart swelled with pride to know that she was able to take care of herself if the need were to ever arise, and he was even rewarded with some pride to know that his parents must have given Voldemort a run for his money when he had attacked them, they were both excellent duelers as well and he knew where he had gotten the talent from now.  
  
When the five mini battles had finally ended, he couldn't help but smile to see that it was the Gryffindor students who had won.  
  
"Good job guys" he said happily as he descended the stairs from the stage that the head table was on.  
  
"Thanks" said Ginny breathlessly as she put her hands on her knees and tried to regulated her breathing, and he noticed with amusement that all five of them were panting rather heavily "What, don't tell me that you're tired already" he joked and earned himself five very unhappy glares in response "All right, you can take a little brake" he said as he turned and faced the rest of the students who were all talking quietly among themselves  
  
"First, I would like to congratulate all of you for a job well done" he began "Now, as soon as these five have regained their breath, they will face off to see who the winner is, but since there is an odd number, they will all fight against each other instead of one on one like they have been doing, and the last one standing with a wand will be the winner" he said "Now, if they will get into a circle" he said as he looked to them and they did as he asked "Ok, on the count of three, you may begin, and the same rules apply as always" he said "One, two, three" and the final match began.  
  
At first, it was each person for themselves, but when they realized that they were getting nowhere with that tactic, they began to focus on one person at a time, and poor Remus was first, and received stunning spells from four different angles. He managed to dodge those from everyone except for Sirius who was directly across from him, and it hit him squarely in the chest, knocking him unconscious and earning a loud yell of victory from Sirius, which I turn earned him the same fate as Remus as three disarming spells were aimed at him, and Lily ended up with his wand in her hand as she sent him a smug smile.  
  
Then, the couple from the past turned their attention onto Ginny, who was able to defend herself for several minutes before a cheerfulness charm hit her and James saw his opportunity and disarmed her, sending her to take a seat beside Sirius and the now awake Remus on the sidelines. Lily and James then went head to head, sending curses faster than could be seen, and dodging them even faster, but after about five minutes, the duel was beginning to tire Lily and her reflexes slowed enough that she was hit with a leg locker curse and dropped her wand as she fell to the ground, declaring James the winner and a great cheer went up from the other students who gave him a standing ovation.  
  
"Congratulations, James" said Harry as he walked up to the younger version of his father "Now I know where I get my dueling talent from" he added with a wide smile that James tiredly returned.  
  
"Now, I believe that that is enough for tonight. Friday night we will be working on some advanced shield charms, so between now and then, I want each of you to come up with one that you would like to work on" said Harry "Again, good job tonight, and congratulations to our winner" he said, and the students began to file from the hall, still talking excitedly about the duels, and Ginny, Remus, and Sirius joined Harry, James and Lily in the middle of the hall as Harry began to move the tables and chairs back to their proper positions.  
  
"Congratulations, Prongs, I knew you had it in you to beat your girlfriend" said Sirius with a grin, and for the comment, Lily slapped him hard on the back of the head "Sorry Lil's" he mumbled as he massaged the sore area, while everyone else laughed at him.  
  
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but we still have three hours until our detention, I'm going to go take a nap" said James, but before he had even taken two steps, Harry had grabbed his shoulder.  
  
"Sorry James, but Dumbledore wants to meet with all of us now, your nap will just have to wait" said Harry, and they all got the impression that he was not looking forward to whatever meeting they were about to go to, considering that his previous cheerful expression had been replaced by a frown.  
  
"Oh man" muttered James as he grudgingly turned and faced the other five "Well, what does our esteemed headmaster wish to se us for at nine at night?" he asked  
  
"He'll explain everything when we get there" said Harry "Come on" he said crisply as eh spun around and began to lead them from the hall, all the lightheartedness he had possessed only moments before gone completely and replaced with a cold stone of indifference. Apparently, Ginny sensed his unease though, and hurried up beside him and took his hand in hers and leaned up to say something in his ear.  
  
"Don't worry, everything will be fine" she said, not intending the others to hear, but they did anyways.  
  
"I'm not sure, Gin, what if they won't help?" he asked her, and the marauders and Lily all turned to each other in confusion, what were they going to ask them to help with?  
  
"Don't even think about that, Harry" scolded Ginny gently  
  
"I can't help it, Gin" he said heavily, but instead of saying anymore, he wrapped his arm around her waist and they walked in silence the rest of the way to the headmasters office, the other four Gryffindor students a few paces behind them and silent as well, but curious about what was about to happen.  
  
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While the dueling club had been meeting in the great hall, Dumbledore, Snape, the older Sirius and Remus, Pomfrey, Hermione, Ron, and Draco were all sitting around the headmasters' office and going over everything they knew about the spell and potion that would be needed to destroy Voldemort for good. Sirius had brought the book that Ginny had given Harry for his birthday, and Dumbledore had found three others that contained the same information.  
  
"Sir, if you don't mind my asking, is there any way that this could fail?" asked Hermione tentatively  
  
"No, as long as the potion is made correctly and the spell is cast properly, then both will do what they are designed for" he answered, and all present breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"How exactly does it work, and what do the spell and potion do? I read what the book said, but I don't really understand it" said Draco  
  
"Well, the potion is used first, and it is used to separate Harry's magic and spirit form that of Voldemort, but doing so will cause one of them to become stronger than the other since Harry won't be able to use his own powers to control Voldemort any longer, and it is the only variable that I can see that will either make this work or cause it to fail. If Harry can keep control, the spell can be cast on the first day of the new moon, exactly nine days after the potion is taken, and as soon as the two are separated, Voldemort will be destroyed" he said as he looked around the room. Of those present, Hermione, Draco, Ron, and Remus already knew the entire process of how the spell and potion would be used, since they had all discovered it, on two separate occasions, Remus first, and the other three while Harry and Sirius were in the past. The others all knew about it, but until now they had not been told the entire story of how it worked.  
  
"So, if Harry is able to keep control for nine days after he drinks this potion, without using his powers, then we can cast the spell?" asked Sirius quietly  
  
"Yes" answered the headmaster, but then the ex-convict asked the question that was on all of their minds, but no one else wanted to ask themselves.  
  
"What if he can't?" he asked quietly, locking eyes with the old man  
  
"We can only hope that it doesn't come to that, but even if it does, we can still cast the spell, but it will work the opposite. If Voldemort is in control when it is cast, then Harry's spirit will be the one that is destroyed, leaving Voldemort in complete control, and with his strength, and his followers, I doubt that there would be anything we could do to stop him. The only consolation to this, is that he would only have Harry's body, and not his powers, because those are connected to a persons spirit, and once the spirit is gone, so are their powers" he said darkly and everyone else was silent, praying that it would not come to that in the end. They sat in silence for nearly twenty minutes, until they were all brought out of their own thoughts by a knocking on the door "Come in" called Dumbledore, and the door was pushed opened to reveal Harry, Ginny, Lily, James, and the younger Sirius and Remus.  
  
"Sorry we are so late, sir" said Harry as they entered  
  
"Quite all right, Harry, who won the competition?" he asked with a slight twinkle in his eye, already sure of the answer, and he was proven right when everyone pointed at a beaming James "Congratulations, James, now if you could all take your seats, we can begin" he said, and Harry conjured six more chairs and they all obediently sat down and looked at the headmaster expectantly. "Now, I'm sure you four are curious as to why I called you here tonight" he began "We need to ask a favor of you James, and you Lily, but first, we should explain what is happing and why we need your help"  
  
"Lily, how much do you know about your family?" he asked as he faced the red haired girl in front of him who looked decidedly confused  
  
"Well, I've grown up with my sister, Petunia, and my parents Eric and Candice Evans, why do you ask?" she asked hesitantly, her eyes darting from the headmaster to Harry who had his own green eyes trained at the floor and refused to meet the gaze of anyone else in the room.  
  
"Well, Lily, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but what you have grown up believing is not the truth" said the headmaster heavily, and upon seeing her shocked expression, he continued "Your mothers name was Susan Evans, and Eric is her older brother, your Uncle. Susan was married to a man named Tom Riddle, who was a wizard, and a very powerful one. Together, they had you, but for some reason, your mother gave you her maiden name instead of her married name for your last name, Evans.  
  
Now, Tom began to meddle in the dark arts, and he had always seen muggles as inferior to magic people, until he met your mother who was a muggle. They were quite in love, but one day, he came home to see your mother punishing you for using magic, you were probably two at the time. He tortured your mother with the cruciatus curse, and when she was unconscious, he left you and her behind. When she woke up, she was frightened, and took you to her brothers' house, a man that Tom had never met, he didn't even know where your uncle lived or his name, so you were safe, even though Tom wanted to find you. He tortured and killed your mother, and your maternal grandparents looking for you, but he couldn't get them to tell him where you were, and he eventually gave up and continued his dark activity" he said, pausing here to give Lily the opportunity to ask any questions, which she readily did.  
  
"So, my father was a wizard" she said quietly "What happened to him? Did he die?" she asked hesitantly  
  
"I'm afraid not, Lily, he turned dark, as dark as he could possibly go, and he has been responsible for many deaths over the past three decades, including your own" he said quietly, and recognition struck Lily like lightning  
  
"No!" she screamed, jumping to her feet "That monster is not my father!" she bellowed, tears coming to her eyes "Eric Evans is my father, not him" she cried as the tears began to spill down her cheeks and her hands began to tremble "not him" she mumbled as she squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to stop the flow of tears from her eyes.  
  
"Lily, I'm sorry, but you need to know the truth" said Dumbledore heavily  
  
"Why! I was doing just fine without knowing this!" she screamed, nearly hysterical now "I would have been perfectly content never knowing this" she added in a quieter tone as she collapsed back into her chair, and James looked angrily toward the headmaster.  
  
"Why did you tell her this? You have no right destroying everything she has ever known in her life!" he exclaimed as he pulled the crying Lily into his arms.  
  
"I am sorry, but she needs to know the truth in order for her to understand what we will be asking of her, it is only right" he said in a weary tone, the others in the room just watching in silence and Harry continuing to stare at the floor.  
  
"What is so important that you have tried so hard to find her? I assume that she was the girl Harry was looking for while he was in the past" said the younger Remus as he looked in concern to his two friends  
  
"Yes, Harry went back to find Voldemort's daughter, though he had no idea who she was, and as for why we needed to find her, we need her to help destroy Voldemort once and for all" said Dumbledore, and his words caused Lily's head to shot up and James to look at him in shock  
  
"What? What do you mean that you need her to help destroy him? Why bring her here if that is what you wanted, why not do it in the past, before he kills so many people?" asked Remus in confusion  
  
"It is not that simple. In your time, he is strong and whole, but right now, he is but a spirit and we are able to destroy him" said Dumbledore  
  
"If you want me to help you kill the man that fathered me, you are going to have to explain more than that. He may be a monster, but you are asking me to help kill my own father" said Lily shortly  
  
"Very well. I trust that you have heard about the attack on Hogwarts by Voldemort a couple of years ago?" he asked, and seeing their nodding heads, he continued "Now, I don't know if you heard about the ending of it, or the aftermath, so I will tell you. While protecting Ginny and Draco, Harry was hit with the killing curse, but obviously it didn't kill him, and he was able to use wandless magic and cast a spell to send the dementors back to Azkaban, and take Voldemort and the death eaters away from the grounds, to a place they couldn't escape from, but he was brought to the same place. When he was hit with the killing curse, Voldemort was separated from his body, so he began to live off of his death eaters, using their powers and bodies to sustain him, but he could only last a short period of time in each one before they died from the stress and he was forced to move onto another host.  
  
They were in this place for three months, during which, Harry was tortured mercilessly by Voldemort and his followers, desperate to find a way out, but they never did, and finally, Voldemort ran out of followers, so he then bonded his own spirit to Harry, and began to use him the same way that he had used his death eaters, but unlike his followers, Harry was able to control him and prevent him from taking control of his body or powers, but his strength is steadily increasing, and it is only a matter of time before Harry looses control for good and Voldemort has control of Harry's powers, and with them, the entire wizarding world, and there is only one way to stop him, and this is where you Lily, and you James come in.  
  
The only way to stop him requires Harry to drink a potion with one drop on blood from his closest blood relative and the closest blood relative of Voldemort, nine days before a new moon which would separate their magic as well as their spirits, making the second part possible. On the first day of the new moon, the two of you would need to cast a spell that would remove Voldemort from Harry's body, and in doing so, destroy him for good" he concluded as he looked over his half moon spectacles at the two students in front of him before his eyes traveled over to Harry who was still looking at the floor unblinking, lost in his own thoughts.  
  
"Is that why the dark mark on your arm is always so black?" asked Lily suddenly, looking intently at Harry, her tears gone  
  
He looked quickly to meet her eyes, so like his own before nodding once, not saying a word, so Snape began speaking "The dark mark is more visible the closer a death eater is to you-know-who, and seeing as Harry is as close as is possible, his is always very dark and visible, but it becomes pitch black when Voldemort is in control of his body" he explained, causing all four of the students from the past to look to Harry in shock.  
  
"He's taken control of you before?" asked James quietly  
  
"He's come close a few times, but he has only succeeded three times, once when I was in a defense lesson with Remus and Sirius, working on the imperious curse, once while I was in the past, during transfiguration, when I turned into that jaguar. That was not one of my animagus forms, it was Voldemort's, all of mine have my eye color and a mark somewhere on them in the shape of a lightning bolt" he explained "And then last night when I found out that I was Voldemort's grandson, but the only time he did any damage was in the defense classroom, he used my powers and cursed Remus, Sirius, and Professor Snape, and tied up the other students. He was about to kill Sirius when I was finally able to take control again, but the damage was done. The explosion of power shattered every window in the castle, and made one entire wall fall down in the defense room. That was the worse things have gotten so far, thankfully" he said as he starred intently at the faces of his future parents, praying that they would see how desperate the situation was and be willing to help.  
  
James looked at Lily for a few moments, neither saying a word, but then Lily gave the barley perceptible nod of her head and James turned to face Harry "We'll do it" he said quietly, and everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief before small smiles began to break out on all of their faces.  
  
"Thank you" Harry whispered back as he gathered both James and Lily into a tight embrace to show his gratitude for what they had consented to do for him.  
  
"Excellent!" said Dumbledore, some of the twinkle returning to his blue eyes "Now, Severus, how long will it take to make the potion?" he asked as he turned to the potions master  
  
"About two weeks to make, and a couple of days to gather the ingredients" he said after some thought  
  
"Good, the next new moon is twenty-five days away, right at the beginning of the Christmas holidays, so that would be perfect Severus, and until then, you four can continue to attend classes with the rest of the students, and once everything is finished here, Harry will be able to send you back to your proper time" he said  
  
"How will you send us back? I thought you had to use the same method to get back to your own time as you used to be brought to a different time" said Lily in concern, afraid she would never get to go home  
  
"You do, but remember that I cast the spell to bring you here, I just need to cast another one to take you home" explained Harry  
  
"Oh" said Lily  
  
"Now, it is getting late, why don't we all get to bed" suggested the headmaster as he looked at his pocket watch, and the marauders and Lily all turned to leave, but the sound of someone clearing their throat from behind them made them all stop and turn around to look directly at Snape.  
  
"Aren't you forgetting that you have a detention?" he asked in his silky tone, and all four of them groaned in frustration, and Snape seemed to notice their weary looks "I have decided to reschedule it until I am done gathering the ingredients needed, seeing as some must be gathered by moonlight and I must travel quite far for others. You will report to my classroom at seven in the morning on Sunday, you will serve your detention then" he said as he swept from the room without another word to anyone.  
  
"Well, who would have thought Snape had a heart hidden somewhere in there?" said James in amazement, and he was met with amused chuckles from the others in the room before they left and went off in the direction of their own rooms.  
  
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A/N: Hey guys, I hope you like this chapter, I know it took a little longer than expected, but the good news is that I found a job! I start tomorrow, so the next chapter probably won't be out until this weekend since I haven't even started it yet. Please review and let me know what you think of this! Oh yeah, Jenna James, I have been brainwashed by A&M since as long as I can remember, I have always been an aggie at heart! Sorry! 


	53. The Black Hawk, Revenge

Chapter 53  
  
When Harry awoke the next morning, he was feeling more at peace than he had felt for a long time, and with a smile on his face, he remembered why he felt so good, Lily had said yes, and so had James, it was only a matter of weeks now until he could finally get on with his life, for the first time without Voldemort. Another reason that he felt better was that he had finally accepted a bottle of dreamless sleep potion from Snape to try and stop the nightmares that plagued his thoughts every time he closed his eyes. They had been getting steadily worse, between Voldemort influencing them and making Harry see what his followers were doing, and Harry's own terrible memories, and everyone was starting to notice how tired he always looked because of them. He had been hesitant the night before to take the potion, worried that it wouldn't work since Voldemort was playing a part in influencing the dreams, but now he was thankful that he had taken the potion, because it did work and he was finally able to get a good nights sleep.  
  
Stretching his arms over his head, he got out of bed and immediately regretted it, his bedroom was freezing, and the floor was even colder on his bare feet. Hastily, he ran for the bathroom and turned the water as hot as it would go before he jumped in, relishing the warmth it brought, but he was slightly worried by the fact that the water seemed to only warm his skin, and his bones still felt as thought he were standing in the middle of a blizzard instead of in a hot shower. Deciding to ignore the discomfort that thought brought him, he finished his shower and returned to his room where he quickly pulled clean clothes from his wardrobe and got dressed, pulling the thickest robe he owned over his black shirt and pants before he wrapped his cloak around his shoulders, trying in vain to calm the chattering of his teeth and the chills that wracked his entire body, He then grabbed his staff and walked over to the window where Sherlock was sunning himself.  
  
'Are you coming with me to breakfast this morning?' he hissed to the green serpent  
  
'I wouldn't dare to miss a meal' hissed the snake back and Harry swore that if he could, the snake would be smirking  
  
'Well then, come on then, we are already running late' said Harry as he stretched out his hand to the snake who obediently slithered up his arm and settled himself underneath the cloak around Harry's arm.  
  
When his pet was ready, Harry left the room and made his way toward the great hall alone since Sirius had already gone to breakfast. When he entered the hall, Harry walked quickly up to Ginny, who was sitting at the Gryffindor table, and leaned over to give her a quick good morning kiss on the cheek before saying hello to the three marauders and Lily who all smiled at him in greeting, all four of them looking quite tired from the events of the night before. He then grudgingly let go of his girlfriend and made his way to the head table and took his seat next to his godfather who gave him a warm smile.  
  
"Good morning, Harry, I was wondering when you would get here" said the black haired man around a mouthful of eggs.  
  
"Morning, Sirius" said Harry as he began to fill his own plate.  
  
"So, what are you doing today since both Remus and I are lecturing in defense classes" asked the ex-convict in curiosity  
  
"I'm not sure, I was thinking of going into the village to get Christmas gifts, I haven't had an opportunity to buy anything yet" said Harry after he had thought for a couple of minutes.  
  
Before Sirius could respond though, the hall was filled with the screeching of the owls as they delivered the morning post. Harry instinctively looked to the ceiling, even though he wasn't expecting anything since anyone that would be sending him letters was sitting in the great hall, but he still loved to watch as the hundreds of owls circled around the vaulted ceiling. When the last owl had found the recipient of its burdens and left the great hall, Harry turned back to his breakfast, but when he heard a loud gasp echo from around the hall, he looked back to the ceiling where he saw another bird circling around the rafters, but this was no post owl, it was a solid black hawk, and when he saw it, it felt as though his stomach had been filled with ice cold lead, especially when the bird began to fly toward him.  
  
Pushing all of his bad feelings aside and ignoring the now silent great hall and the stares he was receiving from students and teachers alike, he stood and watched the hawk approach him until it dropped a blood red envelope onto Harry's plate and flew up to take a perch on the rafters, it's black eyes never wavering from Harry as he hesitantly picked the letter up and opened it. He quickly skimmed the letter before his eyes widened in horror and he looked up to the hawk.  
  
"Never" he said defiantly to the hawk who just starred back at him for another moment before leaving the rafters once again and going into a dive straight for Harry, who just stood his ground, but at the last moment, the bird veered off toward Harry's right side, directly to Sirius who was standing next to him looking at his godson in concern and completely ignoring the hawk, as it let out a loud screech that made everyone's blood run cold.  
  
"Sirius, move!" yelled Harry and the older man immediately looked to the approaching hawk and his eyes widened in horror as his face paled.  
  
The black haired man jumped out of the way at the last second, but he wasn't quick enough as the hawks razor sharp talons tore six long gashes in the shoulder of his robes before it launched back into the sky and flew out the high windows, not even looking over his shoulder at the stunned hall.  
  
"Oh God, Sirius, did it get you?" Harry asked desperately as he fell to the ground next to his godfather who had his teeth clenched in pain. "Sirius, answer me!" he pleaded desperately and still he got no response from the older man and he was terrified to see that his godfather was quickly losing color in his cheeks and his breath was becoming labored as his eyes began to loose focus "Sirius, hang on!" Harry demanded as he clutched one of Sirius' hands in his own and tore the shredded robe with his other to see just how badly he was injured, revealing six very deep gashes in Sirius' shoulder, each several inches long and bleeding freely, but what worried Harry the most was the fact that the edges of each cut were solid black. He desperately tried to use the edge of his own robes to try and stop the flow of blood, but within seconds, they too were saturated and he felt tears come to his eyes "Hang on Sirius, you have to, I can't loose you" said Harry quietly to his godfathers now still form and he felt a hand on his own shoulder, but he didn't turn to face the person it belonged to.  
  
"Harry, why won't you heal him, or let Madame Pomfrey do it?" asked the headmaster quietly, worried about just what was going on and concerned for Sirius and Harry both.  
  
"We can't" said Harry quietly "Any spell we used would only kill him faster" he added in a whisper as he felt tears begin to spill over and slide down his cheeks. He heard several startled gasps from behind him, but he ignored them all and pulled the unconscious from of his godfather closer to him, willing desperately for the older man not to die, even though he knew there was nothing anyone could do to save him from that fate now, it was only a matter of minutes now before the only father Harry had ever known would be dead, and it would be all his fault.  
  
The students and teachers gathered in the great hall sat in stunned silence, some with tears in their own eyes and some crying openly when they heard what Harry had said and as they watched him cling desperately to Sirius. No one dared to move, and even if they had wanted to, they were still in too much shock to do so. Once the hawk had flown out of the room, Ginny and Lily and the marauders had all gone up to the head table and were standing next to Ron, Hermione, and Draco, none of them believing what they were seeing, and none of them wanting to approach the clearly distraught teenager in front of them, none that is except for the older Remus who knelt on the ground on Sirius' other side and grasped his free hand in his own as tears fell down his own cheeks at what he felt was the loss of the only friend he had left from his childhood.  
  
After a moment, Ginny too kneeled next to Harry and wrapped one of her arms around his waist as she too tried to stop the flow of tears that were threatening as she listened to Harry speak quietly to his godfather, completely ignoring the rest of the people around him.  
  
"Sirius, I'm so sorry, I should have known this was going to happen, it should have been me who was hurt, not you. I'm sorry Sirius, please don't leave me, please, things are supposed to be getting better now, we can finally be a family, we just had to wait for less than a month, then everything would be normal, please, Sirius, we're so close, don't leave now" he pleaded as he continued to hold the now still form close to himself, tears running unchecked down his face as he said these things over and over again until he became so chocked up that he could do nothing else but sit in silence.  
  
For the next several minutes, the entire great hall was silent, and no one dared to move, everyone praying silently for what they were witnessing to be nothing more than a terrible dream that they would wake up from. No one knew what they could do to help, if anything, especially if what Harry said was true and any magic used would only kill Sirius Black faster, so they just stayed silent until they heard a gentle rustle of wings from above. Frightened, everyone but Harry looked up, worried that it was the black hawk returning, but to their surprise, it was not the hawk, but instead, a great golden phoenix was soaring through the high windows, and after circling the room once, she changed direction and flew in silence to the front of the hall, where she gently perched on Harry's shoulder and the green eyed boy tore his gaze from his godfathers prone form and turned his tear filled eyes to meet the black ones of the phoenix.  
  
Everyone watching was spellbound by the beautiful creature, since no one except the students from the past had seen her before. Harry had spoken often to his friends and the professors about Terres, his guardian, but thus far, the mysterious bird had not been seen by anyone except Harry since the beginning of term. She was smaller than the headmasters phoenix, Fawkes, and her beautiful plumage was of the richest gold, with not even a single feather of any other color on her entire body. In short, she was the most beautiful bird any of them had ever seen before and she just seemed to radiate a sense of unsurpassable power.  
  
'What has happened, my child?' asked Terres gently after she had settled onto Harry's shoulder and taken in his distraught appearance.  
  
'It's Sirius, he's dying and there is nothing I can do about it, and it's all my fault that he was hurt in the first place' said Harry quietly as he starred at his guardian for a moment before turning back to his godfather and pulled him closer into his arms.  
  
'Won't your powers heal him?' she asked in concern  
  
'No, they will only harm him further, I can do nothing to save him' answered Harry as more tears fell down his cheeks  
  
'Perhaps I can do something to help, do you mind if I try?' asked Terres  
  
'No, please do anything to help him' said Harry desperately  
  
With a quick nod, Terres jumped from Harry's shoulder and sat on the ground next to Sirius where she began to sing a rich and beautiful melody, and a few moments later, she leaned over and rich pearly tears began to fall from her own eyes to land on the bleeding wounds, but after that, something that none of them had ever seen before began to happen as the four cuts were bathed in a blanket of golden light that slowly turned to the purest of white that was so bright that everyone but Harry had to shield their eyes from its intensity until it began to fade. When it was gone, Harry dared to look down at Sirius, and he felt his heart fill with joy as he saw that the wounds had completely disappeared, not even leaving scars behind, and Sirius had regained all the color in his cheeks and was breathing normally again. Within seconds, his eyes opened and looked directly at Harry, who, in response to seeing them felt a fresh wave of tears flood his eyes, but these from happiness as he gave his godfather a tight hug as he began to openly sob into his shoulder.  
  
Sirius was at a complete loss, never had Harry acted so emotional, and he had no idea what to do to comfort him, so he did the only thing he could think of, he sat up and wrapped his arms around Harry's back and gently stroked the long black hair that had begun to fall loose from its ponytail "Shh, Harry, everything is going to be all right, calm down" he repeated over and over again completely ignoring the astonished looks he was receiving from everyone in the hall and the golden phoenix still sitting the floor beside him until it flew to Harry's shoulder and began to sing quietly, effectively calming Harry to the point that he could look at Sirius and speak rationally.  
  
"Are you ok, Sirius?" he asked almost hesitantly as he looked into the pale blue eyes, and when he nodded, Harry spoke again "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let this happen, I could have stopped it" he said quietly and, shocked, Sirius looked at him with wide eyes.  
  
"What do you mean, Harry?" he asked, and Harry noticed that he was receiving the same look from a few of the professors and his friends as well.  
  
"Read this" he said as he held out his hand, summoning the red parchment from his seat at the table and giving it to Sirius who unfolded it and began to read the black writing on it, aware of Dumbledore, Remus, and Snape reading the letter over his shoulder.  
  
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Potter,  
  
We know your secret. We know the location of our master, and we want him back and will stop at nothing to return him to his rightful place at our head, as the ruler of the wizarding world, and weather or not it is your body he uses is of no concern to us, he could rule just as easily if you were dead as he could using your powers since you are the only threat to him. This is your only opportunity to choose on your own, tell the hawk your answer and she will relay it to us, but be forewarned, if you refuse to obey our suggestion, you will regret it, and don't even try to put any type of spell on the hawk, for any magic you try to use on her will be repelled. Also, don't try to touch her, her talons and beak are coated with a poison so strong that it kills in a matter of minutes, and if you were to try to heal any wound she might inflict on you with a spell, it will only bring death quicker. You have a choice, either surrender willingly now, and turn your body and powers over to the dark lord, or face the consequences. We will win, and you will loose, choose now, Potter.  
  
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When they had finished reading the letter, no one could miss the tense looks that passed between the four professors and Harry, and it only caused Ginny, who was now standing next to her brother to give Harry and Sirius a moment together, the marauders, Lily, Hermione, Ron, and Draco to begin to worry more, especially after hearing the equally tense conversation that followed.  
  
"Do you know who sent this, Harry?" asked Remus once he had finished reading the ominous letter  
  
"I have no idea" admitted Harry  
  
"Who could have found out? And how?" asked Sirius almost frantic with worry for his godson  
  
"That is something we need to discuss further, Harry, I trust no one else knows that you are aware of?" asked the Headmaster as he surveyed the group of students and the others who had been told about what was going on.  
  
"No, no one else has been told, and I have complete trust in those who do know" said Harry as he too looked at his friends  
  
"Very well, we will have to discuss this further at a later time. Sirius, how are you feeling?" asked Dumbledore as he looked to the man who was still sitting on the floor  
  
"Fine, thanks to her" he said as he motioned to Terres  
  
"Well Harry, am I correct in assuming that this is the phoenix that you have been calling Terres, your guardian?" asked Snape as he looked at the creature that had just moved back to her perch on Harry's shoulder.  
  
"Yes it is" said Harry quietly as he gently stroked his friend "Thank you, Terres, I can never repay you for this" he said to the bird who looked intently to him  
  
'My child, you don't need to thank me, I only did what needed to be done' she answered  
  
'Yes, but without you, Sirius would have died, and then I wouldn't know what to do, I can't loose him, he and Dumbledore are the only real family I have left' said Harry honestly  
  
'You are welcome, my child, now be careful, I must be going, but I will be back soon. Be careful, my child, and don't blame yourself for what happened, you couldn't have stopped it no matter what you did. I will see you soon' she said before she spread her beautiful golden wings and soared toward the high windows before flying out them and disappearing from sight. Harry then turned his attention back to those gathered around him and to Remus who was helping Sirius to his feet. He then stood up himself and looked toward Dumbledore who was facing the students.  
  
Without saying a word, Harry grabbed his staff and held out his hand and an instant later, the Gryffindor sword and Slytherin dagger appeared, and his scarlet cloak was replaced by one of solid black. Ginny looked to him in concern, and she was surprised to see the cold fury that was being radiated from his green eyes, they were no where near the warm and caring eyes that she was used to seeing, but more like green ice. Tentatively, she approached her boyfriend and laid a hand on his arm.  
  
"Harry?" she asked quietly, not noticing the eyes of the rest of the student body and the professors that were looking at her and the raven haired boy beside her. Harry didn't answer her or even acknowledge her, instead, he looked at his godfather who was breathing heavily and leaning on the table for support. Apparently, even though the wounds had been healed, he was still feeling sore from the injuries. After watching Sirius for a moment, Harry turned backed and looked directly at her "Harry, what's wrong?" she asked quietly, though everyone in the hall heard her.  
  
"Ginny, I have to find whoever did this, they can't get away with it" he answered, but like his eyes, his voice held no warmth.  
  
"Harry, what are you talking about?" she asked fearfully, already knowing full well what he meant.  
  
"Ginny, I will make whoever did this pay, it is me they want, they had no right to come after my family" he said harshly "Be careful, Gin, I don't want them to get you too" he added quietly as he gently placed a hand on her cheek before turning and beginning to walk from the hall.  
  
"Harry, think about what you are doing" said the headmaster before he had made it halfway to the doors.  
  
"I have, whoever did this has to pay" he said without turning around  
  
Suddenly, the doors to the great hall slammed closed and Harry spun on his heel and faced the aged wizard who was looking at him heavily "Harry, you can not rush out there in the state of mind you are in right now, if you do, you will loose" he said calmly  
  
"Don't try to stop me, Dumbledore, I will do this, whether you want me to or not" he said back evenly  
  
"I know I can't stop you, Harry, but I want you to be sure you are aware of just what you are risking if you leave the castle" answered the headmaster  
  
"Sir, with all due respect, no one understands just what I am risking better than I do. Now if you don't mine, open these doors before I do" he threatened  
  
"Very well, but be careful Harry, and don't do anything rash" he cautioned, and when Harry nodded his head, he waved his wand and opened the doors once more.  
  
"Thank you, sir. Sirius, watch your back, all of you" said Harry as he turned once again and walked from the now silent hall. Once he was out of sight, Dumbledore sighed heavily before turning to face the rest of the school.  
  
"Students, because of the events of this morning, I'm afraid that I am forced to cancel all trips to Hogesmede, and I must insist that all students remain inside the castle at all times, and all outdoor classes will be put on hold until it is safe to venture outdoors again. If you notice anything suspicious, please inform a teacher immediately, and finally, all quidditch practice and games will be postponed until further notice. Please be careful and watch out for yourselves as well as your younger schoolmates. Thank you, now please report to your common rooms, classes are cancelled until this afternoon" he said and the students obediently left the great hall as he turned to those gathered at the staff table.  
  
"Minerva, would you and the other heads of house please go and make sure that everyone is in their common rooms? Hagrid, would you please go to the Slytherin common room, I'm afraid there are things I must discuss with Severus" and with a nod, Flitwick, Sprout, Hagrid, and McGonagall all left the hall and Dumbledore turned to Ginny and Sirius. "Don't worry, I am sure Harry will be fine, as long as he keeps his wits about him, he may be strong, but he is acting on anger, he is no match for death eaters, or worse, Voldemort until he calms down" he said heavily as he surveyed those still gathered in the hall.  
  
"Albus, do you really think Harry will be all right once he calms down?" asked Sirius thickly, still trying to process everything that had happened during breakfast as he tried to hold himself up using the back of his chair.  
  
"I think he will" said the headmaster with a small smile "We just need to have faith in his abilities, and trust in Harry not to do anything rash" he said "Sirius, why don't you let Remus take you up to the hospital wing so Poppy can check you over, I will let you know the instant we find him" he suggested, and Sirius grudging obeyed and accepted his friends help out of the great hall as Dumbledore left through the door behind him with Severus on his heels. Realizing that there was nothing they could do, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Lily and the three marauders all left the great hall as well, but instead of going to any of their rooms, they walked in silence toward Gryffindor tower.  
  
  
  
Once Harry was out of the great hall, he stopped momentarily to make sure he wasn't being followed, and when he was sure that he was alone, he tucked his sword and dagger into his belt. He then pulled his hood over his head and gripped his staff tightly in his hand and took a deep breath before continuing on his way through the castle, almost jogging to the front entrance of the school. Once outside, he cleared his mind and an instant later, he had changed into a black wolf and set off at a flat out run into the depths of the forest. When he had run for several hours straight, Harry stopped abruptly and began to sniff the air with his canine ears pricked up, listening and smelling for anything that was our of the ordinary. Sensing nothing strange, he decided to go at things from another angle, so he shifted into his raven form before spreading his wings and soaring into the sky, his eyes never leaving the forest floor below him as he constantly scanned it for any sign of death eaters or the black hawk that had delivered the letter to Hogwarts only a few short hours before.  
  
He flew until the sun was setting, and only then did he fly down to the forest floor. After sitting in silence for several minutes listening for any movement around him, he shifted into the form of a panther. Deciding that a cats senses were far more acute than other animals, and would therefore alert him to anything else approaching, he curled up on the forests floor to take a quick nap before heading out again. After a few hours, he was refreshed and wide awake again as he ran through the forest once more, stopping occasionally if he picked up any strange smells. He continued in this pattern for three long hours before he found anything even remotely of interest.  
  
He was searching the forest once more as a wolf when his senses picked up the unmistakable smell of many humans from about a mile ahead of him. After searching the area directly around him and finding no threats, he transformed back into himself to make sure he was ready to fight if the need were to arise. His sword and dagger were still tucked into his belt, and his staff was in pristine condition in his hand, ready for his use if he needed any of his weapons. Taking a deep breath, to still his frazzled nerves, he silently shifted into a black owl, and once the transformation was complete, he spread his great wings and took off into the night sky in the direction of the area he had smelled the other humans.  
  
It only took him about fifteen minutes to reach the area where the smell was the strongest, and when he was near it, he transformed once again into a wolf and closed the distance between himself and the clearing that was lit up with the light of a large bonfire.  
  
He silently crept around the edge of the clearing, keeping his stomach almost pressed onto the forest floor to try and remain out of sight of the people gathered in the clearing. Once he had gone almost halfway around the clearing, he found a place where he could safely watch what was going on without being seen by those in the clearing. He settled down on his stomach and peered through the underbrush before him to see just what was going on around the fire. There were about thirty different figures standing before the fire, all of them wearing black robes that clearly marked them to be death eaters, and they were all talking loudly, clearly disagreeing about something.  
  
"I'm telling you, we would be better off just to go to Hogwarts and take the brat!" yelled one man as he waved his arms around furiously.  
  
"How do you propose we do that? There is no way we could take him out of the castle with Dumbledore guarding him" answered another man just as furiously as the other  
  
"I agree, we could never get him out of the castle as long as he is so well guarded" said someone standing toward the back of the group  
  
"What other options do we have?" asked the first man "The longer he remains at Hogwarts, the better the chances are that they will be able to destroy our master. They are already close, by Christmas they will be successful" he countered  
  
"What if we were to lure him out of the castle by capturing one of his friends?" suggested one member of the group who had been silent until now  
  
"But how would we get one of his friends out of the castle? He isn't likely to let any of them out of his sight for long" said another  
  
"I think I have an idea" began one of the original men to speak, but before he could say anything further, all of the members of the group as well as Harry were distracted by a piercing screech from somewhere in the trees above them. Fearfully, Harry looked up and was met by the piercing black eyes of the hawk that had nearly killed. Harry's green eyes grew wide in shock and terror as he recognized the bird, and clearly, she recognized him as well, if not by sight, then by smell. He quickly jumped to his feet, and by doing so, caused the bush he was hiding behind to begin to shake.  
  
"What was that?" asked one of the death eaters hesitantly as they all turned their eyes toward Harry who was too frightened to move lest he draw more attention to himself than he already had, hoping that they would ignore the noise, but he was not to be so locky, and in a matter of moments, he was regretting ever leaving the castle.  
  
"It came from over there" said one as he pointed at Harry, and instantly, six death eaters began to advance toward him.  
  
Before he knew what was happening, Harry was surrounded by the death eaters, and all of them had their wands trained directly on him. Growling, he raised his hackles and bared his teeth at the men who all looked slightly frightened of him.  
  
"Well, what is it?" asked one of the men who was still in the clearing  
  
"It looks like some sort of dog, maybe a wolf" answered one of the men who was aiming his wand at Harry  
  
"Well, kill it, it can't be that difficult" answered the other man with a wave of his hand  
  
"Yes, sir" answered the man who was now only a few meters away from Harry "Avadra Kedavra!" he shouted and a green beam of light shot out of his wand and struck Harry directly in the side. "What the hell" he muttered when the wolf remained standing on his paws, but was panting heavily. He looked at the others who were surrounding the animal with his eyes wide, and saw the same shocked expression mirrored on all of their faces as the wolf began to growl at those surrounding him once again.  
  
"Well, what is taking so long?" demanded the man from the clearing, clearly the one in charge of the death eaters. When he received no response, he became angry and walked briskly to those surrounding the angry wolf. He looked at the animal with a disdain clearly written on his face before looking to the men around it "I thought I told you to kill this creature" he said with a scowl on his face as he looked at the man who had shot the killing curse.  
  
"We tried sir, I hit it with the killing curse, but nothing happened" he admitted nervously  
  
"Well, are you sure the curse hit him?" asked the other man in doubt without looking at the wolf.  
  
"Yes sir" answered the other man  
  
"Incompetent fools" said the leader angrily as he turned to face the wolf, and for the first time, Harry got a good look at the man, and when he saw his face, he let out another ferocious growl. He would recognize that man anywhere, his image had been present on many of Harry's nightmares, ever since that fateful day almost exactly a year ago when the two of them had dueled in the great hall at Hogwarts, and he had stabbed Harry, nearly killing him. It was Edward Shaw, former head of the aurors at the Ministry of Magic and known death eater.  
  
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A/N: Ha, ha, cliffy, well don't worry, the next chapter is almost done, so I'll post it probably Thursday or Friday. Hope you enjoyed this, I know, I'm evil to do that to Sirius and Harry, but oh well, I couldn't resist. Well, anyways, thanks for the reviews on the last chapter, and please let me know what you think about this one as well. I guess since you guys are so nice to review, I'll give you a few hints about what's coming up next, lets see, in chapter 54, Harry gets to fight those stupid death eaters, and that evil bird goes back to Hogwarts, and they finally get finished with the potion. In chapter 55, well, you'll just have to wait for that, I only have like five pages written so far, but I think you'll like it! Well, enough rambling, please review! 


	54. Return of the Lion

Chapter 54  
  
How he had gotten out of Azkaban, Harry didn't know, but the fact remained that he was standing before him right now, and he had his wand aimed right at the black wolf.  
  
"Avadra Kedavra!" he bellowed, and for the second time in nearly as many minutes, Harry was struck by the killing curse, and this time, the force of it was enough to knock him from his feet and send him skidding across the hard ground, stirring up a thick cloud of dust that completely hid him from the view of the death eaters, but to the amazement of those standing around the wolf, a deep growl was heard coming from with in the cloud of dust.  
  
Shaw's eyes grew wide, and he starred at the place the wolf had once stood as the dust began to clear away, and the first thing he saw was a pair of piercing green eyes starring right back him, shining in anger and reflecting the light of the half moon overhead, from the wolf who was now standing on his own four paws once again, very much alive  
  
"What the." the man muttered before a sudden realization struck him and a broad smile broke out on his face as he glimpsed the small white lightning bolt on the wolfs chest. The other men looked to him in curiosity before he began speaking directly to the black animal. "Well, well, well, who would have thought you would be stupid enough to come to us" he said to the wolf, causing the rest of the death eaters to look to him in concern, fearing for his sanity.  
  
"Sir?" asked one of them nervously, not wanting to anger the clearly delusional man.  
  
"Well gentlemen, it appears that we have no need to lure Potter to us after all, he is already here" he said, and the other men all looked to the black wolf as their own eyes lit up in recognition. "Come now, Potter, why don't you face us like a man?" he asked mockingly  
  
With one last growl, the wolf walked up to Shaw until he was only a meter away from him, before he shifted effortlessly into his human form. When the other men saw him change, they all looked to him in shock and no small amount of fear, taking in his calm expression, and his sword and dagger hanging from his belt as well and the staff held in front of him defensively.  
  
"Well now Potter, why have you decided to grace us with your presence tonight?" asked Shaw mockingly  
  
"Shaw, how did you get out of Azkaban, you should have remained there until your death" growled Harry, sounding very much like an angry wolf as he looked intently into the eyes of the older man.  
  
"Potter, did you really think that a man as high up in the ministry as myself would not have connections to get out of situations such as that?" he asked with a maniac grin on his face "Now, why are you here?" he demanded, but instead of answering, Harry just smirked back and drew his sword from his belt and held it in his left hand while his right aimed his staff at Shaw. "Revenge on those who tried to kill my family" he said calmly, noting the look of fear cross the death eaters faces at his words.  
  
"Get him" Shaw ordered, and the other death eaters obeyed and began to advance on Harry, some firing stunning spells, and others using the unforgivable curses, but none of them were able to hit Harry even though he was able to take out nearly half of the death eaters himself. The barrage of curses continued for several minutes before Shaw fired one of his own, one Harry was not prepared for and therefore could not deflect and an instant later he fell to the ground, ropes binging his hands and ankles together tightly and causing him to fall to his knees hard on the forest floor, dropping his sword and staff on the ground beside him. "Well then, Potter, the time has come for you to surrender to the dark lord" said Shaw as he approached the boy who was sitting on the floor before him, but to his shock, Harry didn't show any signs of defeat, instead, he looked directly into Shaw's eyes.  
  
"Wrong again, Shaw, you will be the one to surrender to me, perhaps not tonight, but in the end, the light will always win. Consider this your warning, if you ever harm any member of my family again, you will not leave our next meeting alive" he said tersely, and before they could do anything to stop him, he began to transform again, but this time into the from of a black falcon with the same patch of white on his chest, and the same green eyes that the wolf had possessed. Without any warning, the falcon spread his wings, causing the ropes that had been around Harry's wrists and ankles to fall to the ground. With a mighty stroke of his wings, he was lifted into the sky, and an instant later he dove to the ground and picked up the sword and staff in his black talons before he began to flap his wings furiously, ignoring the curses that were constantly flying through the sky toward him as he set of through the sky, and trying desperately to dodge the poisoned talons of the hawk that was following him and trying to take him down herself. He flew as quickly as he could, straight in the direction of the castle, amazed that a falcon was able to move so swiftly. Since this was the first time he had ever changed into this particular animal, he had no idea just what strengths and weaknesses it had, and he wasn't willing to hang around and find out. It took him the better part of the night to reach the edge of the forest, and when he did so, he looked quickly over his shoulder and was relieved to see that the hawk was no where in sight.  
  
Exhausted, he slowed his breakneck speed and flew casually into the great hall through the high windows, and when he entered, all conversations that had been occurring over breakfast ended abruptly and all eyes looked to him in dread mixed with a small amount of fear since the last black bird to enter the castle had attacked a teacher and nearly killed him. Of those in the hall, only two were aware that Harry was able to assume such a form, Sirius and Dumbledore, since Ginny and the students from the past had not arrived in the great hall yet. Because of this, the sight of him flying in with a sword and very recognizable staff led the others to assume the worst. Deciding to worry about their reactions later, he flew right up to the head table and upon recognizing the green eyes and white scar, both men stood abruptly and followed him from the hall and into the chamber behind it.  
  
Once the door was closed, Harry changed back into himself and looked right into the eyes of Dumbledore before he spoke "I found them, they are on the far north side of the forest, only about thirty so far, but Shaw is their leader" he said, and upon hearing his words, both men looked shocked.  
  
"Are you sure it was Shaw?" asked Sirius  
  
"Yes, he recognized me and tried to capture me, but I got away" said Harry, and the two men only now realized how exhausted he looked as he leaned heavily on his staff for support.  
  
"Harry, are you all right?" asked Sirius in concern  
  
"Fine, just tired" was the mumbled reply as he waved his hand dismissively  
  
"You don't look fine, what curses were you hit with?" demanded his godfather sternly  
  
At first, it looked as thought Harry wasn't going to answer, but upon seeing Sirius' determined expression, he sighed and obeyed "When the other death eaters found me, they thought I was just a wolf, so they hit me with the killing curse, and when it didn't work, Shaw tried it, that's when he figured out who I was" he answered  
  
When he heard this, Sirius swore heavily under his breath before he spoke again "Come on, you're going to the hospital wing, you need some rest" he said as he grabbed Harry's arm.  
  
"Sirius, I'm fine, I just need a hot bath and a warm bed" he protested, but his godfather was not about to give in any time soon, so he followed behind him grudgingly. Secretly, he was glad to be heading for the hospital wing, even though the killing curse didn't kill him, it hurt badly and he could clearly feel the two different spots where it had struck him, one on his chest and the other on his left side.  
  
'Well' he thought grimly to himself 'at least it doesn't knock me out any more, if it did, I'd defiantly be a lot worse off'  
  
When they reached the hospital wing and told Madame Pomfrey what had happened, she gave Harry some fresh pajamas to change into which he did obediently before laying down on the bed furthest from the door. She came back a moment later and gave him a thorough exam, muttering angrily about the dark bruises that were the result of the killing curse before giving him a strong pain killing potion as well as a dreamless sleep potion, both of which he was grateful to drink and within moments he was sound asleep.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Only moments after he had left the great hall, Ginny and Lily arrived with the marauders, and none of them were able to miss the students who were starring at them. "What's going on?" whispered James to the other four  
  
"I have no idea" answered Sirius as he looked around the hall, but Ginny had a better idea, as well as a suspicion of her own  
  
"Come on" she said quickly as she walked to Colin "Colin, what happened? Where is the headmaster and Professor Black?" she asked once they reached the blonde boy, who looked hesitant to answer her "Tell me what happened" she growled and he nervously swallowed as he looked to those around him for support.  
  
"Well, a few minutes ago, a falcon came in, and it was carrying a sword and Harry's staff. Dumbledore and Professor Black followed it out into the chamber behind the hall" he said quickly.  
  
Ginny was terrified, how could Harry have lost his staff and sword, this meant only one of two things, that Harry had been captured, or that he had entered in one of his animagus forms, and she wished with all her heart that it was the last option that was the truth as she spun around and sprinted from the hall, Lily and the three marauders right behind her.  
  
Once in the entrance hall, James was able to pull Ginny to a stop "Ginny, where are you going?" he demanded breathlessly  
  
"To find Harry" she answered before setting off again, this time in the direction of the fourth floor to see if Harry had returned to his room. After a quick conversation with the painting, telling her that no one had entered, she turned and sprinted for the headmasters office, yelling out the password and running up the stairs, the others still right behind her, but when she opened the door, it was to find that the office was empty.  
  
"No" she said quietly after she had looked at the empty room  
  
"What's the matter, Ginny?" asked Lily in concern  
  
"He's not here" she mumbled quietly  
  
"Well, where else could he be? We haven't checked everywhere yet" said Remus  
  
"No, you don't get it, if he's not here, then he's in the hospital wing" said Ginny and the others all looked at each other with worried expressions  
  
"Maybe, but I'm sure he's fine, why don't we go and see?" suggested James, and Ginny nodded her head before leading them from the room and in the direction of the infirmary, her pace much more reserved than it had been so far.  
  
When they reached the doors to the hospital wing, James knocked lightly, and they were immediately opened by Madame Pomfrey "Ah, yes, I was wondering when you would be here Miss. Weasley" she said with a kind smile to the red headed girl.  
  
"Ma'am, is Harry here?" she asked hesitantly, dreading her answer  
  
"Yes he is, and don't worry, he's fine" she said in reassurance and Ginny let out a sigh of relief  
  
"Can I see him, what happened? What is wrong with him?" she asked quickly  
  
"Calm down, he's fine, just bruised and tired. I gave him a sleeping potion, but you may see him, come on in" she said and the five students followed her into room and back to the bed furthest from the door that had curtains blocking it from view "Try not to wake him, he's had a hard time since yesterday morning, he needs his rest, his godfather will be here shortly to take him back to his own room" said the mediwitch as she pulled aside the curtains and allowed them to enter. Ginny went immediately to the chair next to the bed and pulled Harry's hand into her own, tears of relief pooling in her eyes, but the three marauders and Lily could only look at him in horror.  
  
He was lying flat on his back in the bed wearing only a pair of striped pajama pants, and he looked completely at peace and deep in sleep, but what captured their attention the most were the hundreds of scars that covered his chest and stomach, as well as the two dark purple bruises the stood out starkly against his skin, one on his left side, and the other on his stomach, both nearly a foot in diameter and very sore looking despite the thick layer of salve that the mediwitch had covered them with to speed up the healing process. But their attention was soon drawn away from those when Ginny shifted her weight and they caught sight of the dark mark on Harry's arm. They had known that he had the mark for quite some time now, but none of them had ever seen it, and the sight of it chilled them to the bone, especially since it was almost as black as it could possibly get. They forced themselves to pull their attention away from it though and went to stand next to Ginny.  
  
"Are all those scars from the battle you told us about?" asked Lily hesitantly  
  
"Yes, all but a few anyways, the one on his forehead is from the killing curse when he was a baby" she said as she pointed to the lightning bolt shaped one "He also has one on his arm from when the death eaters took his blood to resurrect you-know-who at the end of his fourth year, and one on his side is from the head auror stabbed him right before Christmas last year" she said without looking at them.  
  
"Is that all?" asked Remus hesitantly  
  
"As far as I know, why do you ask?" answered Ginny  
  
"He didn't tell you?" he asked in amazement  
  
"Tell me what?" asked Ginny, now getting very confused and a little worried  
  
"Well, while he was in the past, he went out with us one full moon, and their were death eaters in the forest, so he tried to stop us, but they were summoning all the dark creatures to them and I didn't know what I was doing, and I attacked him, I bit him on the shoulder" said Remus quietly, looking ashamed of himself  
  
"You bit him during the full moon" said Ginny quietly, not believing what he said was true  
  
"Yes, but it was an accident, I swear" he said quickly "I didn't realize what I was doing"  
  
"Don't worry, Ginny, he was in his animagus form when he was bitten" said James and Ginny let out the breath she had been holding  
  
"Oh" she said quietly as she turned back to Harry  
  
After several minutes of silence, James spoke up again "What are those bruises from? They look painful" he said as he grimaced as he looked at them  
  
"He said he was hit by the killing curse" answered a voice from behind them, and they all turned to see the older Sirius standing behind them looking grim "You guys had better get to classes, breakfast is over and I need to get Harry back to his room" he said and the five students obediently left the hospital wing and hurried off to potions, hoping that Snape would be in a forgiving mood if they walked in late, but to their surprise, the potions master was not even there yet when they ran in. They quickly took their seats and not ten seconds later, Snape entered and began the class, not even giving the students a second glance as he wrote ingredients on the board before sitting behind his desk and beginning to mix a potion of his own, and Ginny knew without a doubt that it was the one that Harry would have to drink in just two weeks.  
  
Once the students had left the infirmary, Sirius gathered the still soundly sleeping Harry up in his arms after wrapping a blanket around him and left the hospital wing in the direction of his and Harry's rooms. As luck would have it though, he didn't make it there uninterrupted, meeting up with Snape who was on his way to the dungeons from the headmasters office.  
  
"Black" he said in way of greeting, and sighing heavily, Sirius stopped and turned to face the other man.  
  
"Snape, I trust you heard?" he asked  
  
"Yes, Albus just told me. Will he be ok?" he asked in concern, startling Sirius who thought he worried about no one but himself  
  
"He'll be fine, he's just tired, he really didn't need to go off like that, not at a time like this" said Sirius as he shifted his godson's weight carefully  
  
"What do you mean? He's the most powerful wizard in the world, surely he can handle a few death eaters" said Snape with his brow furrowed in confusion  
  
"That may be, but he is beginning to get weaker" said Sirius heavily  
  
"What?" asked Snape in shock as he looked at the peacefully sleeping boy "What makes you think that?"  
  
"I know my godson, and he hasn't acted like himself for quite some time now. He has nightmares nearly every night, and he gets tired after doing the smallest things. Take this for example, how many other eighteen year olds are completely exhausted after staying up for twenty four hours? When I was his age James and I could go for days on just a few hours of sleep, and yet Harry can't even stand up after just one night up. I'm afraid he will loose this battle if things keep going as they have been, I don't know how much more pressure he can take, especially after what happened yesterday at breakfast" at this he sighed heavily  
  
"You really care about him, don't you?" asked Snape, no trace of his usual malice lacing his words  
  
"More than you will ever know. He's all I have left besides Moony, I don't know what would happen if I ever lost him" he admitted gravely, for a moment forgetting that it was his one time enemy he was speaking to.  
  
"Don't worry, he's strong, he'll pull out of this, I'm sure of it" said Snape "I better get to my class so I can start on the potion so it'll be ready in time" he said as he turned to leave  
  
"Thanks for everything you have done for Harry, Severus" said Sirius quietly, and the other man merely nodded his head and continued walking and Sirius continued on his way toward his own room.  
  
After giving the panting the password, he carefully entered the room and took his godson to his bedroom and gently laid him onto the soft bed. He then pulled the covers over the black haired boy and gently brushed the hair from his face to reveal the thin lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead.  
  
"Harry, why do you get yourself into these situations?" he asked quietly "You should have never left like that yesterday, you could have been killed" he added as he looked down on the sleeping face of the boy he considered his own son in James' absence. After making sure he was comfortable, Sirius left the room and went into the living room to get caught up with marking the homework the seventh years had turned in the day before.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
At around dinner time, Harry woke up, feeling a hundred percent better than he did when he fell asleep. He jumped out of bed and pulled on clean clothes before grabbing his staff and sword and dagger. He didn't know why he felt the urge to take his weapons with him, but he didn't think it would hurt anything to do so. He then walked from his room and saw Sirius sound asleep on top of a pile of parchment with a quill still in his hand.  
  
Chuckling quietly, he approached his godfather and gently shock his shoulder to wake him up.  
  
"Huh, what" he mumbled as he turned his tired eyes to Harry "What time is it?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms over his head.  
  
"Time for dinner" answered Harry "Have you been here all day?" he asked in concern  
  
"Yeah, pretty much" he answered "Why?"  
  
"You look exhausted, did you sleep at all last night?" Harry asked  
  
"No, I was more worried about my godson who stormed from the great hall on some suicide mission" he answered and Harry knew he had crossed a line  
  
"Sorry about that, but I had to find out who did that to you" he answered  
  
"That may be so, but that was not the best way to go about things, Harry, you could have been captured, or worse, killed and you would have died twice if you were anyone else" said Sirius sternly, all previous fatigue gone  
  
"Sirius, I know, but I had to find them" said Harry desperately, and seeing the look in his eyes, Sirius relented  
  
"I understand where you were coming from, but promise me you will never do something like that again" he pleaded  
  
Harry gave him a lopsided smile "I promise, now can we get to dinner, I have dueling club tonight" he said and the older man nodded his head and the pair left the room and walked toward the great hall, discussing what Harry was going to do as far as a lesson tonight.  
  
When they walked into the hall, Harry wasn't in the least bit surprised by the looks he received, but he choose to ignore them and after greeting Ginny, Lily, and the marauders, he proceeded to the head table to eat his dinner, talking the entire time with Sirius, Remus, Ron, Hermione, and Draco about what had happened in the forest. The pleasant meal was quickly interrupted though when an all too familiar shrieking was heard from outside the window. The hall fell into a frightened silence and Harry jumped to his feet and with a wave of his hand, all the high windows slammed closed, and not a moment too soon as they saw the black hawk circling outside one of the windows.  
  
At the sight of the bird, many of the younger students began panicking, and several began to run toward the door, but with another wave of Harry's hand, the doors slammed shut as well.  
  
"Everyone, please stay calm, and stay seated, I will take care of this" Harry growled as he set off toward the doors himself, and the frightened students returned to their seats. Once he was sure that no one would follow him out, Harry opened one of the doors and left the great hall as he headed toward the front lawn, his staff gripped tightly in one hand and the other resting on the hilt of his sword. Anxious to see what was going on outside, many of the older students cast a transparency charm on the exterior wall and within moments, they were able to see what was happening, and since the professors were just as curious, they didn't stop the students casting the spells.  
  
They watched as Harry exited the castle and walked toward the middle of the grounds. Within seconds, the great black bird had flown down to him and dropped another blood red letter onto the ground at his feet. Instead of bending over to pick it up, he summoned it to his hand and opened it, reading it quickly before turning back to the hawk and saying something that only made the bird angry. It left the sky and dove straight at Harry, but before it reached him, a jet black lion with a silver mane and magnificent silver wings stood in his place. With a roar that those in the great hall could hear and feel, the lion spread its massive wings and took to the sky.  
  
The terrified hawk tried in vain to pull out of its frantic dive, and was barely able to before the lion tried to grab it with its razor sharp claws. An instant later, both animals were airborne, and the hawk was trying desperately to stay ahead of the ferocious beast that was trying to eat it for dinner. Both creatures were flying as fast as possible in the direction of the forest, but as soon as they reached its borders, the lion stopped and allowed the hawk to keep flying, but not before he let out another earthshaking roar as a warning not to return. He held his ground for another couple minutes, until the hawk was out of sight, before he lowered himself to the ground. He then shifted back into himself and began to walk back toward the castle. As he approached the school, he looked up from the letter he was reading and directly to the students gathered within, as though he could see through the charm on the walls even though it could only work one way, and with a shake of his head, he lifted his hand dismissively and the wall returned to normal, not allowing any of the students to look out onto the grounds anymore, and it left them feeling sheepish about watching what he had done, even though the general consensus was that it was amazing to see.  
  
A few minutes later, the doors opened again and he walked in and straight to the head table where he gave the letter to Dumbledore who read it quickly, the lines on his face going grave before he passed it on to Sirius.  
  
"So, what are you going to do?" asked the headmaster with a frown  
  
"Nothing, those are just idle threats, there is no way they can carry through with them" said Harry with confidence that he didn't feel inside  
  
"Are you sure?" asked Sirius once he too had finished the letter and passed it on to Remus and Snape  
  
Harry only nodded his head as he began to finish the food on the plate in front of him, but seeing as they wouldn't accept that answer, he spoke up again "Listen, nothing they threaten to do they will ever accomplish, so why take their threats seriously?" he asked the men around him  
  
"Merlin, Harry, when did you get so smart?" asked Sirius in an attempt to lighten the mood and he was answered with a smirk from his godson.  
  
"Very well, but I would recommend that you don't take their threats too lightly, Harry. These are very powerful wizards you are dealing with, and they will stop at nothing to get what they want" warned the headmaster seriously  
  
Harry nodded his head and the rest of the staff sat down to finish their meals, those who didn't know what was going on looking decidedly confused by the strange conversation.  
  
Once the tables were clear once again, those few students not participating in the dueling club left the great hall and the others stayed in their seats awaiting instructions, and while they had a few minutes, Ginny, Lily, and the marauders joined Harry, Ron, Draco, and Hermione at the head table.  
  
"Harry, what was that letter about?" asked Ginny once she was sure they wouldn't be overheard, and mutely, Harry handed his girlfriend the red parchment and she hesitantly started to read it.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Potter,  
  
Your display last night was quite impressive. Obviously your powers have increased greatly since out last meeting, but rest assured that no matter how strong you are, we will still win. You will never be able to resist the dark lord, and you will submit to him, weather of your own free will or not, it does not matter. We will use whatever it takes to get you, even if it means killing all of those you hold dear, or better yet, killing your dear parents so that you will never be able to cause us this much trouble. Why don't you save them all and just surrender now, we promise to leave them alone if you do so. Just give in to us and they will all be safe. This is your last warning.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Once all of them had finished reading the letter, they all looked to him in wide eyed shock, but Ginny was the first to speak up.  
  
"What did you tell the hawk?" she asked in a trembling voice  
  
"I told it that I would never give in to these idle threats. I don't think she wanted to accept that answer though" he said with a rueful smile on his face, and the others immediately relaxed under his calm influence "Come on, we had better get this started or we're going to be here all night" he said as he stood and began the lesson.  
  
The next three hours were spent learning and practicing many advanced protection spells, and after the last student left the great hall, Harry walked Ginny and the others to Gryffindor tower where he bid them goodnight and set off for bed himself, full of nervousness and doubts about what was to come in the next few weeks.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
For the next two weeks, no students were allowed to leave the protective walls of the castle, and even though the hawk never returned, they were all till nervous. After his display as a lion, rumors were flying about Harry's abilities and what the hawks letter had said, but there were only a few who knew the truth, and all of them were nervously counting down the days until the potion would be ready and the first step in destroying Voldemort would be at hand.  
  
When Harry awoke on the morning of December 21st, it was with a sense of terrible foreboding mixed with anxiety at what that afternoon would bring. At eleven thirty that morning, those students going home for Christmas would leave aboard the Hogwarts Express, but only a small percentage of the students would be leaving, many feeling safer at the castle because of the constant death eater attacks, and at twelve o'clock, he was expected in the potions classroom to take the potion that Snape had completed just the day before. All that was left was for James and Lily's blood to be added, then he would drink it, and hopefully, be able to remain the strongest when he was done, if not, well, he didn't want to even consider that possibility right now.  
  
Harry walked silently to breakfast, after convincing Sherlock that it would be best for him to remain in his room, ignoring those he passed on his way, as well as the several conversations that Sirius tried to start with him. His mind was elsewhere, thinking about what the afternoon was to bring, and try as he might, he couldn't block out the voice inside his head as Voldemort tried desperately to use any idea he had to prevent Harry from taking the potion, from telling him that it wouldn't work, to telling him that he wasn't strong enough, but Harry refused to acknowledge him, even though the doubts were already firmly imbedded in his already stressed head.  
  
"Harry" said Sirius firmly, pulling Harry from his own thoughts  
  
"Huh, oh sorry Sirius" he mumbled as he turned his attention to his godfather "Did you say something?" he asked politely  
  
"It's all right, I asked if you could pass me the eggs" said Sirius and Harry obediently handed the platter to the other man without saying another word.  
  
The rest of the meal passed in silence, none of the other professors knowing why Harry, Sirius, Remus, Snape, and Dumbledore were looking so tense, and none of them willing to ask about it. Even though they noticed the tension at the staff table, they were oblivious to the nervous shifting and silence among five of the Gryffindor students as well as Ron, Hermione, and Draco.  
  
Before he realized it, breakfast was over, and Harry silently stood and left the others behind. He walked quickly out to his favorite spot on the grounds, beside the lake, where he sat down heavily and stared out over the almost frozen surface and into the trees of the forbidden forest which were covered by a thick layer of snow. He sat there, completely still and ignoring the cold chill that crept into his bones for nearly three hours until he heard the sound of the students who were leaving depart for the train. Once the last student was out of sight, he stood and slowly made his way back into the castle, stopping ever few steps to look at anything that caught his attention, from the snow that was gently falling to a small white rabbit that emerged from the underbrush of the forest in search of something to eat that wasn't frozen. Finally though, he took a deep breath and quickened his pace to close the remaining distance between himself and the school.  
  
When he entered the unnaturally quiet castle, he shook off the snowflakes that were still clinging to his cloak and robes, and as he was doing so, he was joined in the entrance hall by Dumbledore.  
  
"Are you ready, Harry?" he asked gently  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be" Harry said heavily "Who all is going to be there?" he asked hesitantly  
  
"Myself and Severus, as well as anyone else you want to be present" said the older man kindly  
  
"If you don't mind, I would prefer if everyone, including you two, waited outside. I don't want anyone to get hurt if something goes wrong, but I would rather everyone who knows what is happening to be nearby in case I do loose control and something needs to be done. It would be best if there were more trained people there to help. James, Lily, Remus, Sirius, and Ginny should stay in the common room though, and Ron, Hermione, and Draco should stay with the other houses, they will be able to protect the other students" said Harry quietly, not wanting to think about that option, but being forced to in order to protect those he cared for.  
  
"As you wish, but are you sure you want to be alone when you take the potion?" he asked in concern  
  
"Yes, I don't want to endanger anyone. Professor Snape will be able to tell you if Voldemort gets control so at least you can be prepared if that does happen" he said, and by now, they had reached the potions classroom.  
  
Taking a deep breath to steady his trembling nerves, Harry entered the room and was met by the concerned faces of all twelve people who knew what was going on, other than himself and Dumbledore.  
  
Snape was standing next to a simmering cauldron, and beside him stood James and Lily, both of their faces set in grim determination.  
  
"Are you ready, Harry?" asked Snape with no trace of his usual cold attitude, and at Harry's nod, he turned to the two students beside him "Lily, hold your hand over the cauldron, don't worry, this won't hurt" he said, and the girl obediently held her hand over the steaming black liquid, and using his wand, Snape made a small cut on her palm, and once one drop of her blood had dripped into the liquid, causing it to turn into a deep red color, he closed the small wound and turned to James "All right, same thing" he said and the black haired boy held his hand over the cauldron as well and the same process was repeated, this time causing the potion to turn a dark green color before Snape took a ladle and stirred it exactly six times counter clockwise. When he was done, he took a glass goblet from the desk behind him and filled it with the green potion. He then set the goblet on the desk and faced the headmaster and Harry "It's ready" he said simply and all Harry could do was nod his head in response as he starred at the still steaming goblet.  
  
Without him realizing it, Dumbledore had asked the others to leave before he, Sirius, and Ginny approached Harry "Harry, are you sure you want to do this alone?" he asked one more time, and Harry mutely nodded his head "Very well then, we will be outside" he said as he left the room.  
  
Ginny then approached him and he looked lovingly into her beautiful eyes before she spoke "Harry, I know you can do this, I love you" she said softly as she gave him a tight hug  
  
"I love you too, Gin, now go up to the common room with the others" he said before he released her and she walked quickly from the room and into the hallway beyond, leaving only Sirius and Harry.  
  
"Harry, stay strong and you will win" said Sirius confidently  
  
"Thanks, Sirius, for everything" said Harry quietly as he looked into his godfathers face  
  
"Don't thank me for anything, Harry, it's my job" said Sirius with a smile as he too headed for the door, but before he reached it, Harry called back to him  
  
"Sirius, please remember your promise" he requested, and upon seeing his godson's desperate face, he nodded his head and closed the door behind him, leaving Harry alone with the ominous potion.  
  
He tentatively approached the goblet and picked it up in his trembling hands. He gripped it so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and with no further thoughts, brought it to his lips and threw back his head, swallowing it all in one large gulp  
  
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A/N: All right, here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy it! Next one should be up later this week, I have an exam on Wednesday, so it will be sometime after that. Ok, just so you know, there will probably be only maybe five or six more chapters until this is finished, even though I never want it to end, but there has to be an end sometime, right? Well, anyways, let me know if there are any loose ends that I haven't tied up yet and I'll try to before the end, otherwise, give me some ideas about what to write next! Please review this and let me know what you think, sorry about the cliffhanger (again). Please review! 


	55. Effects of a Potion

Chapter 55  
  
The effect was instantaneous, and before he even knew what was happing, he felt a terrible pain flood his veins as the potion began to work, but there was something else, as soon as he felt that pain, he felt another and with a terrible start, he realized what it was. Voldemort was using all the energy he still possessed to curse him, trying desperately to gain control while Harry was crippled with the insurmountable pain that was coursing through his body. He stumbled on his feet, tripping over a nearby desk, causing it to tip over, and knock the still simmering cauldron to the ground and spilling its contents all over the dungeon floor, almost falling over himself as his world was turned upside down, and with violently shaking hands, the goblet fell from his grasp and landed with a crash on the floor, shattering into a thousand pieces, but Harry didn't even notice as he fell to his knees and gripped his head tightly in his hands, trying desperately to make the pain stop, but it wouldn't, it just kept getting stronger.  
  
His entire body felt as though it were on fire and covered with ice at the same time, every single nerve firing and sending one signal to his brain, pain. He fought as hard as he could to block out the pain, but headless to his efforts, a blood curdling scream escaped his lips as he fell to his side, echoing off the dungeon walls.  
  
He was so absorbed in the overwhelming pain that he didn't even realize that he was no longer alone in the room as he tried desperately to make it all stop, even if it meant certain death, it was preferable to what he was experiencing now. He felt his voice give out after what felt like an eternity, but still the pain would not stop no matter what he tried, it was flooding his body in waves and he felt that the only way it would end would be if he just gave up and surrendered to Voldemort, then it would all go away and he would hurt no more. Just as he thought these thoughts, the pain vanished and he instantly gave in to the darkness and slipped from consciousness.  
  
The four in the hall were waiting tensely, waiting for any noise to come from within the room to let them know what was going on. The had only been waiting for a few moments, though, when the sound of something heavy, probably a desk, or more than one, hit the ground, and a moment later, the sound of shattering glass hit their ears and they all looked to each other in worry.  
  
The next moments passed in silence, and they had all thought that the worst was over until they heard the scream. A scream that caused them all to feel a ice cold hand tightening over their hearts, a scream that was probably heard throughout the castle, even in the highest turrets and towers. But it wasn't the volume of the scream that frightened them all, it was the raw pain that it resonated that frightened them, and instantly, Dumbledore signaled for Sirius, Remus, and Snape to follow him into the room.  
  
When they entered, their eyes were met with a terrible sight. Several tables were overturned, the ingredients that had been on top of them now covering the dungeon floor, and the cauldron that was holding the potion was tipped over as well, and the thick green liquid was beginning to mix with the other ingredients and letting of a very acrid odor, but that was not what their attention was focused on. Harry was lying in the middle of the mess, his knees drawn up to his chest and his hands clenched in fists so tight that his nails drew blood from his sensitive palms and pressing against his temples as he continued to scream.  
  
Every muscle in his body was flexed, and he was convulsing violently on the cold stone floor, and despite the coldness, his brow was covered in a thin layer of perspiration, causing his raven hair to be plastered to his cheeks and forehead and his robes were soaked from his effort as well. His normally kind and happy eyes were clenched tightly closed, and tears of pain were running from the corners and leaving wet trails down his face. His screams didn't stop for several minutes, and his voice was hoarse from their intensity, but finally, they did end, and the three men looked to him, hoping the worst was over, but it wasn't.  
  
Even though he was no longer crying out in pain, it was blatantly obvious that he was still suffering. His muscles were still clenched tightly and convulsing violently in response to the intense suffering he was being forced to endure, and his breath was coming in harsh and ragged gasps. His hands were still pressed as tightly as possible to his temples as though he were trying desperately to block out the hurt that was being inflicted upon him.  
  
After several agonizing minutes of having to watch the raven haired youth suffer, to the great relief of the three men, his hands fell away from his head and his entire body relaxed. They all let out a sigh of relief before the headmaster spoke up.  
  
"I had no idea that he would be hurt so much by that potion" he said heavily "If I had known, I would have never subjected him to it"  
  
"It wasn't just the potion that was causing him pain, Albus" said Snape quietly, and the other three looked to him in curiosity and only now realized that he was clutching his left arm "If I'm not mistaken, you-know- who was cursing him at the same time, but somehow he managed to still keep control" he said in an impressed voice  
  
Sirius cursed heavily under his breath before turning to the headmaster "Do you think he will be all right?" he asked as he glanced between the old man and his godson who was still lying unconscious on the stone floor.  
  
"Only time will tell, Sirius, but for now, we should get him up to the hospital wing where he can rest" he said and Sirius quietly approached him and knelt down beside him, noting with fear the tremors that were still racking Harry's frame even in unconsciousness, but before he picked him up, he was distracted by Remus' voice.  
  
"How strong do you think the curse was, Severus?" he asked heavily  
  
"Much stronger than last time, I'm amazed that he was able to survive it at all, especially given the fact that he was probably already in incredible amounts of pain from the potion" he answered honestly  
  
Shaking his head, Sirius gently brushed the sweaty locks from Harry's clammy face, almost recoiling when he felt how cool it was despite the fact that he had just had such a terrible physical as well as mental battle. Noticing Sirius sudden change in expression, Remus cautiously approached his best friend "What's the matter, Padfoot?" he asked quietly  
  
"He's so cold" answered Sirius in a whisper, and before he realized what was happening, Remus had removed his cloak and covered the black haired boy with it "Thanks Moony" said Sirius as he carefully slid his hands under Harry's body and lifted him from the stone floor, painfully aware of the violent muscle spasms traveling throughout the thin body "Can we give him a pain killing potion before he wakes up?" he asked hopefully, looking to the headmaster and Snape.  
  
"I'm afraid not, any potion we give him could react with the one he just took. Not enough is known about it to risk causing any side effects" said Snape, and he truly looked like he wished there were another way "All we can do is try to make him as comfortable as possible without them"  
  
Sirius nodded his head glumly and began to follow Dumbledore from the room, Snape and Remus close behind them. They walked in silence through the dungeons, and when they reached the entrance hall, they were not surprised to see the majority of the student body and professors alike milling around, obviously alerted and frightened from the screams they had heard. The professors all ran hurriedly up to Dumbledore when they saw the small group emerge from the dungeons.  
  
"Albus, what is going on, all we heard were screams, is everyone all right?" asked McGonagall desperately, but then she seemed to notice Harry "What happened to him?" she asked as she took in his sweat covered form, pale complexion, and blood coated hands.  
  
"Not now, Minerva, please, get all of the students back to their common rooms, I will explain everything later" said the headmaster quietly, and she grudgingly nodded her head and began to direct the students away from the entrance hall. One particular group though, looked to the four men hopefully, and the headmaster gave them a slight nod of his head and grim smile, indicating that everything had worked out fine and with a collective sigh of relief, the five seventh years quietly followed their head of house toward Gryffindor tower and the other three began to lead the other houses back to their common rooms as well.  
  
Once they were able to reach the staircase, Sirius followed Dumbledore the rest of the way to the hospital wing in silence, holding tightly to his godson and trying desperately to ignore the steadily shuddering muscles that continued to torment the unconscious body. When they reached the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey was pacing back and forth in front of one of the beds that was already prepared with several thick blankets covering it.  
  
"Thank Merlin, you finally got here" she said breathlessly "Here lie him down" she instructed Sirius who obediently approached the bed and gently set Harry down on top of it "Now, what happened? I could hear him screaming all the way up here" she said as she got to work removing his soaked robes.  
  
"All we know is that when he took the potion, Voldemort cursed him, but despite everything, he was stronger and fought his power" said Sirius tiredly  
  
Madame Pomfrey stumbled slightly in her work when she heard this, but she quickly composed herself and continued "As you probably already know, I can't give him anything to help with the pain, all I can do is try to make him comfortable, but I am positive he will be asleep for several days at least, he is exhausted" she said as she looked down onto his face with compassion.  
  
She then reached over to the table beside her and grabbed a soft washcloth and began to wipe the sweat from his face, paying careful attention to the area around his scar that had shed several drops of blood and was quite red before beginning work on his hands. Once she had wiped away all the blood though, she looked to the headmaster in confusion "I thought he was able to heal any cuts he received on his own?" she asked  
  
"He was able to last time, but he was probably too exhausted to worry about it today" he answered.  
  
"Well, I won't be able to heal them until he wakes up and drops whatever that shield is that protects him while he's asleep" she said as she used her wand to summon several bandages which she gently wrapped around each hand. She then used the cloth to try and sooth the angry red flesh around the mark burned into his arm which looked quite tender itself.  
  
Once she had finished with all she could do, she pulled the blankets up to his chin before she set back and looked to the four men "There is nothing else I can do for him now" she said "But I wish there were" she added quietly as she looked at him and noted his still trembling muscles.  
  
"You have done the best you can, Poppy, thank you" said the headmaster with a smile as Sirius took the seat next to Harry's bed, Remus standing behind him "Severus, come, I will help you fix up your classroom" he said quietly, and with a nod, the two left the hospital wing in silence.  
  
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The walk to the common room was a silent one for Ginny, Lily, and the three marauders, all of them completely wrapped up in their own thoughts to speak too much to one another about them. They were all worried about what was going on several floors below them at that very moment, no one knew just what to expect when Harry took that potion, and for that reason, their anxiety was justified. Before they had even had an opportunity to take their seats though, they were stooped where they stood when a piercing scream met their ears.  
  
All five of their faces lost every bit of color and they turned to look at one another, ignoring the frightened faces and voices of the rest of the members of their house.  
  
"Harry" whispered Ginny quietly, and without another word, the five students sprinted from the room as fast as they could, the rest of their house on their heels and the screams still echoing through he vast castle. By the time they reached the entrance hall, the rest of the students and professors were their, but they quickly pushed their way through the large mass and headed toward the staircase that led to the dungeons, but before they reached it, they were stopped by their head of house.  
  
"Miss. Weasley, I must insist that all students remain here until we find out what is going on" she said firmly  
  
"Professor, you don't understand, we need to get down their!" exclaimed Ginny as she tried again to run down the stairs, but she was stopped when Lily grabbed a hold of her robes from the back.  
  
"Ginny, their coming up" she said quietly and Ginny immediately spun around to see the headmaster climbing the stairs with a weary and tense expression on his face. Professor McGonagall ran up to him, desperate to find out what had happened, but Ginny didn't notice what she said, her attention was focused on Sirius who was carrying Harry in his arms.  
  
Her boyfriend was unconscious and even from a distance, she could tell that he was far from all right. His hair was plastered to his head from sweat, and his palms were both bloody, and even though he was being held tightly, she could see his muscles trembling through the robes he was wearing and the cloak that was covering him. Just then, Dumbledore caught her eye and gave them a small smile and nodded his head to the five of them, telling them silently that Harry was going to be fine, that the potion had worked and he had won. Knowing that she wouldn't be allowed near the hospital wing until Madame Pomfrey was done with Harry, she grudgingly turned around again and followed everyone else back to the tower.  
  
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By seven that night, the headmasters office was full of all of those who weren't aware of just what had really happened in the dungeons that afternoon, and no one was too happy.  
  
"Albus, I demand you tell us what was going on down there!" yelled the deputy headmistress, frustration ringing through her words.  
  
"Minerva, I can't tell you just now, it is a matter of utmost secrecy" sighed the headmaster, for the fifth time in as many minutes  
  
"Sir, I have the highest amount of trust in you, and normally I wouldn't question your judgment about anything, but there is an eighteen year old boy lying unconscious in the hospital wing, suffering from the after effects of dark magic that was clearly performed in the castle, and for the safety of all of the students who are here, we need to know what is happening so we can be prepared" said McGonagall, resorting to logic when yelling had failed so far.  
  
"I can tell you this much, Mr. Potter was exposed to extremely dark magic, but I can assure you that as of now, none of the other students are at risk from it, and if that condition changes, you will be informed" said the headmaster, his eyes losing their twinkle as he spoke, warning the professors to keep silent, a warning they took "Very well, if there is nothing else, then I must be getting up to the hospital wing to check on Harry, I will see you at breakfast" he said as he stood, and the others all left the office, some still grumbling about the conversation that had told them nothing.  
  
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For Ginny, the afternoon couldn't pass fast enough. She sat with Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus in front of the fire and listened idly to their conversation, occasionally adding in bits of her own.  
  
"What do you think happened down there?" asked Lily hesitantly once they had settled into the chairs and cast a silencing spell around themselves to prevent their other house members from overhearing what they were talking about.  
  
"I don't know, but he didn't look too good when they brought him up, did he?" said James as he pulled Lily closer to himself.  
  
"No he didn't but Dumbledore looked like everything worked like it was supposed to, didn't he?" said Remus  
  
"Yeah, I guess that means that Harry won, but why was it so much harder than they thought? Originally, Dumbledore said that it could be painful, but I didn't think it would be that bad" admitted Sirius "He looked like he had just fought a war or something" he added  
  
"I know what you mean" said James "But my question is why it hurt him so much, I mean, I thought Harry had a pretty high tolerance for pain after everything I've seen, nothing seems to phase him, but whatever that potion did must have been pretty terrible to make him scream like that"  
  
"I agree, but hopefully he'll be all right" said Lily quietly  
  
"Me too, and hopefully we'll be able to see him after dinner" Ginny added without taking her eyes from the fire. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Sirius spoke up again.  
  
"When do you two cast that spell on him?" he asked as he looked to James and Lily  
  
"The thirtieth at midnight" answered James "The first night of the new moon" he added "Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well, once that is done, will we be sent back?" he asked hesitantly  
  
"Probably within a couple of days, why, do you want to stay here?" asked Lily  
  
"No, it's no that, I was just worried" he answered quietly and the others all turned to look at him in confusion  
  
"About what?" asked Remus finally  
  
"Everything" answered Sirius "I mean, if everything goes as planned, Harry will send us back to our own time, after casting another memory charm no doubt, we will finish the last half of the year and graduate, and then our lives will become a living hell. James and Lily will die, Harry will become an orphan, I will get sent to Azkaban for who knows how long, and Merlin knows what happens to Wormtail" he said grimly  
  
After hearing his words, the other four all looked to each other with grim expressions clouding their faces, but it was Ginny who spoke up "I'm sorry you will have to go through all of these things, guys, and I wish there were something we could do to change things, but there isn't. If James and Lily weren't attacked with Harry, then you-know-who would have never been stopped for as long as he was and even more people would have died.  
  
And as for you, Sirius, if you weren't sent to Azkaban, then Harry wouldn't have had to grow up with his terrible relatives, but then he may have never become as strong of a person if he didn't have to face the hardships he did, and you are here for him now and that's what matters" she said quietly, and they could all see her point, but Sirius wanted his other two questions answered.  
  
"Can you tell me how long I was in Azkaban for? And what happened to Peter?" he asked hesitantly "I mean, if you don't want to, I won't mind, but if we're just going to have our memories erased regardless, I don't see what it could hurt" he added when he saw her reluctant expression  
  
"No, it's fine, but are you sure you really want to know the truth?" she asked as she fixed him with a piercing gaze  
  
"Positive" he said immediately with a nod of his head  
  
Ginny took a deep breath and looked into the fire for several moments before she began speaking again "Well, when James and Lily found out the you-know-who was after them, they decided to cast the fidelus charm, and they told Dumbledore and everyone else, including Remus, that you were their secret keeper, but at the last moment, you guys decided to switch because you thought that it would be obvious to the death eaters if Sirius were the secret keeper.  
  
Everyone knew how close you and James were and you thought it would be better to change to Peter without telling anyone else. You knew that someone close to you had been feeding you-know-who information about where you were, but no one knew who the traitor was, and everyone was suspicious about everyone else, but no one thought that Peter would be the traitor" here she paused and waited until what she had sunk in, and after several silent moments, all four of their faces were contorted in shock, but before they could say anything, she continued  
  
"Well, the charm was performed, and you thought everything would be fine, but it wasn't. On Halloween, when Harry was one and just after the charm had been cast, you went to check on Peter but he wasn't there, and you realized what had happened. You went immediately to James and Lily's house and found out what had happened, but you were too late and they were already dead, but then you found Harry and he was alive, but Hagrid had been instructed to bring him to his relatives.  
  
You agreed and once Hagrid had left, you went in search of Pettigrew. You cornered him on a street in muggle London, but before you could do anything, he yelled out that you had betrayed James and Lily and then he cut off one of his own fingers, blew up the street using the wand that he had hidden behind his back, and transformed into his animagus form and ran off into the sewers.  
  
Twelve muggles were killed in the explosion, and when the ministry arrived, you were standing there laughing, they arrested you and sent you to Azkaban with no trial for killing the muggles and Peter, and after you were gone, he found a wizarding family to live with and no one knew he was alive until Harry's third year when you escaped and found Peter who had been living with Ron the entire time as his pet.  
  
Peter escaped that night, though, and went back to his master. The next year, during the third task of the triwizard tournament, Harry and another student were taken to you-know-who when they touched the trophy that was really a portkey. Cedric was killed immediately, and Wormtail tied Harry up. He then made a potion using Harry's blood and cut off his own hand to resurrect you-know-who. Harry escaped though, and you were still on the run from the ministry, and during his sixth year, Wormtail was spotted and you were pardoned" she finished and was met with utter silence.  
  
"So" said Sirius several minutes later "I was sent to Azkaban for killing Peter and twelve muggles"  
  
"Yes, and everyone thought you were the one who betrayed James and Lily, and that you were you-know-who's right hand man" she added  
  
"Well, it's good to know that I'm not going to lead a boring life" said Sirius finally, always the one to try and lighten up a serious conversation with humor "But the next time I see Wormtail, I am going to murder him, no wonder Harry didn't trust him, how come we never noticed what a sniveling little coward he was" he growled  
  
"Calm down Padfoot, there's nothing we can do about him right now, it'll just have to wait until we get back and hope we at least remember not to trust him, even if we can't remember why" said James calmly  
  
"Prongs is right, right now we have more important things to worry about, like how Harry is doing and what we can do as a surprise for him when he wakes up" said Remus, event though both were fuming on the inside as well, neither wanted to discuss it until things calmed down some "Anyways, it's about time for dinner, why don't we head on down and then hopefully we can go up to the hospital wing and check on him" he added as he got to his feet and stretched. The others all followed suite and they silently made their way out the portrait hole and to the great hall.  
  
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Harry was bored out of his mind. Ever since he had passed out in the potions classroom, he had been in this place, and where it was, he had no idea, but what he did know was that he was more than ready to leave already. He was pacing around in circles with in this vast expanse of absolute nothingness with only Voldemort for company, and if he had the power to do so, he would have killed the snake eyed man more than once now.  
  
'So, boy, have you decided to give in yet?' asked Voldemort for what seemed like the hundredth time.  
  
'I have already told you, Tom, I won, and I will never give in to you now. Your days are numbered, so accept it already' Harry growled without even facing the other man  
  
'You seem awfully sure of yourself, Potter' said Voldemort mockingly 'This battle is not over yet, or have you forgotten what you saw in the crystal ball?' he asked  
  
At this, Harry spun around to face him 'That will never happen, I would never allow you to harm Ginny' he bit back harshly with his eyes narrowed into thin slits  
  
'That may be what you think, Potter, but you saw the vision, and once it happens, there will be nothing you can do to stop it' he said  
  
'Just a few more days, Tom, and I will finally be rid of you after seventeen years of trying' said Harry with a determined glint in his eye  
  
'Don't overestimate yourself, Potter, you haven't won yet' said Voldemort, his face fading away into the distance as Harry was pulled back into the harsh pain of reality.  
  
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A/N: Sorry for the wait, but I got a 'B' on my exam! Next chapter is almost done so I will post it in a few days. Thanks for the reviews and let me know what you think of this one! 


	56. Waking up to the Worst Christmas Ever

Chapter 56  
  
Sirius and Ginny were sitting next to Harry's bed talking quietly when he first began to stir, and when they heard a slight moan, their conversation stopped and they both turned to the bed with hopeful expressions on their faces.  
  
"Harry" said Sirius gently as he looked to his godson  
  
"Harry, come on, wake up" urged Ginny, and another moan was her answer  
  
"Come on Harry, open your eyes" prompted Sirius and a few moments later he managed to painfully pry his eyes open and lay squinting at his godfather and girlfriend who were both smiling kindly at him.  
  
"Morning, sleeping beauty, how are you feeling?" asked Ginny  
  
"Like I was run over by a heard of hippogriffs pulling the Hogwarts Express" he answered hoarsely with a groan.  
  
"Well, that's to be expected" said Sirius with a small smile as he gave him a glass of water, noting with concern that he could barley hold the glass for his shaking hands, but he knew Harry would refuse any help that he offered out of stubborn pride.  
  
"How long have I been out?" asked Harry once he had managed to drink the water  
  
"Almost four days, it's Christmas Eve, just after dinner" answered Ginny  
  
"Geeze, it felt like longer than that" muttered Harry, earning concerned glances from the other two.  
  
"Why do you say that? You were unconscious" said Sirius  
  
"Sort of, but the entire time all I had to look at and talk to was my wonderful grandfather who was enjoying himself trying to make me miserable" said Harry "So, what has happened since I took that bloody potion?" he asked  
  
At this, Ginny and Sirius looked to each other before Sirius spoke up "Not much, after you took the potion, we heard you screaming and went in, and Snape told us that you were being cursed at the same time, and a few minutes later, you blacked out. We brought you up here and you haven't moved since" he answered with a shrug of his shoulders "Other than that, it has been pretty much the same thing around here, other than the fact that the infamous marauders have struck again" he added with a mischievous smile on his face  
  
"Oh Merlin, what have they done?" he asked, dreading the answer he would receive  
  
"Well" said Ginny hesitantly, but before she could continue, the headmaster spoke up  
  
"I believe that they managed to turn the potions classroom red and gold, and signed your name to their project, but don't worry, Severus shouldn't see it until tomorrow night at the earliest" he said with a twinkle in his eyes "How are you feeling?" he asked  
  
"I've been worse, but I've also been better" answered Harry truthfully  
  
"I would imagine so, Harry, but I'm afraid that we can't give you anything for the after effects of that curse until after the spell has been performed" he said reluctantly, and Harry nodded his head in acknowledgement just as Madame Pomfrey entered and her face broke into a smile as well when she saw him awake.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Potter, I see you have decided to join the world of the living once again" she said as she began to examine him, noting with concern that he flinched every time he was forced to move any part of his body and that his muscles were still shaky from the curse "Let me see your hands so I can heal them" she said once she was done looking him over thoroughly  
  
"Why? What happened to my hands?" he asked as he turned his palms up and examined the bandages covering them with his brow furrowed. Without saying a word, the mediwitch waved her wand and the bandages fell away to reveal the deep cuts that were clearly from his own fingernails "Oh" he said quietly as he turned away and let the mediwitch heal the cuts, and when he turned back, the red marks had been replaced by light pink scars.  
  
The next couple of hours, he just sat and talked to his godfather, girlfriend, and headmaster, joking lightly and just enjoying being in their presence. The marauders and Lily came by for a few minutes as well as Remus, Ron, Hermione, and Draco, but none of them stayed long, claiming that they still had things to prepare for Christmas morning. At ten, Madame Pomfrey came back to check him over again and gave him another goblet of water.  
  
"I hate to do this, but I'm really tired, I think I'm just going to go back to sleep" he said once she had left and Dumbledore had returned to his office.  
  
"Ok, well, can we come up here in the morning to open our gifts? That way we can give you yours too" said Ginny before she stood up  
  
Harry smiled broadly "I'd love that, why doesn't everyone come here in the morning, can you ask Ron and Hermione and Draco, Gin, and Sirius, do you think Remus will come?" he asked hopefully  
  
At his anxious expression, Sirius and Ginny smiled "I'm sure they would all be happy to come, Harry" said Sirius "Why don't we meet here at, say ten? That way you can have a bit of a lie in" he said  
  
"Sounds good to me" said Harry happily  
  
"Well, night Harry" said Ginny as she leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss "Happy Christmas Eve" she said with a smile  
  
"Night, Gin, love you and see you in the morning" he said as he returned the kiss and she left the room in search of her brother and Hermione and Draco.  
  
"Night Harry" said Sirius as he too left the room "I'll see you in the morning"  
  
"Night Sirius" said Harry and once his godfather had left, he burrowed deeper into his blankets and fell fast asleep.  
  
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Christmas morning dawned bright and quiet, with the sun being reflected off of the fresh blanket of snow that had fallen on the grounds the night before. Harry was awoken by Madame Pomfrey coming in to check on him and bring him a plate of food for breakfast.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Harry" she said with a smile as she set the plate of food on the table next to his bed  
  
"Good morning, Madame, and Merry Christmas to you as well" he replied with a smile and reached over to the table to pick up the plate, gripping it tightly in both hands to try and prevent spilling anything on his bed. Once he had placed the plate on his lap, he turned back to the mediwitch who had been watching him in concern as he struggled, but once seeing his eyes on her, she put her mask back up and smiled once again.  
  
"So, how are you feeling this morning?" she asked as she settled in the chair next to his bed  
  
"Better than yesterday" he admitted as he loaded his fork with eggs  
  
"Good, now, I should tell you, you will probably be pretty weak, both physically and magically, for a few days at least, so I would like you to stay up here until after the spell has been cast to make sure nothing happens" she said, and to her utter amazement, he nodded his head instead of protesting.  
  
'He must feel pretty terrible' she thought silently since he was always fighting tooth and nail to leave the hospital wing.  
  
Harry finished his breakfast quickly and carefully set the plate back down on the table "Have Ginny or Sirius been up here yet?" he asked with his brow furrowed as he looked out the window next to him and saw that the sun was already high in the sky.  
  
"Not that I've seen, no one has come up here yet, in fact, the entire castle has been strangely quiet" said the mediwitch after a few moments of thought  
  
"What time is it?" asked Harry once he heard her words  
  
Madame Pomfrey stood and walked out to the main area of the hospital wing where the large grandfather clock was located and returned a moment later "Half past eleven, everyone should be at lunch by now" she said, thinking that this pronouncement would ease his worry.  
  
"Are you sure no one has come up here?" he asked again as his eyes surveyed his small private room, looking for any sign that he had had visitors before he woke up.  
  
"Yes, I have been cleaning all morning and I would have seen them come in" she answered "What's the matter?" she asked in concern  
  
"Well, Ginny and Sirius and everyone were supposed to be here at ten so we could exchange gifts and it's not like them to not show up" answered Harry distractedly as he continued to look around the room until his eyes feel on a small black box hidden behind the door "What's that?" he asked as he pointed to it. Madame Pomfrey turned around and looked to where he was pointing  
  
"I've never seen it before" she replied as she began to move toward it, but before she had taken a step, Harry had summoned it to himself and it was sitting on his outstretched hands and he was carefully examining it. The box was made of the darkest black wood and was perfectly square, only about a foot wide on all sides with a pair of silver latches on the front of it.  
  
Harry hesitantly set the box on his lap and carefully opened the latches, causing the lid to fall backward and revealing the contents to his eyes. Upon seeing what the box held, his forehead creased even more "What is this about?" he muttered quietly as he began to remove items from the box.  
  
The first thing he pulled out was a thin gold chain with a heart shaped pendant on it. After a moment of looking at the necklace, he remembered where he had seen it before, it was the necklace Ron had given Hermione for Christmas last year, she had worn it every day since. He gently set the necklace beside him and reached back into the box and pulled out a gold pocket watch. He ran his hands over the face of the watch several times before opening it to reveal the face, and engraved on the inside was Happy Birthday, Little Brother, Love Aberforth, March 5, 1948. Harry looked at the watch for several more minutes before he realized that it belonged to Dumbledore. He had been told once that the headmaster had a brother named Aberforth.  
  
His confusion mounting, he removed the next item from the box, a Chudley Cannons ticket stub that he knew immediately belonged to none other than Ron. Adding the slip of parchment to the pile beside him, he removed a slim book from the box with his name written on it, and on the inside cover was written the inscription 'To Harry, Merry Christmas! From Remus and Sirius'. It was a journal of sorts that he was apparently supposed to receive this morning.  
  
Setting it beside him as well, he removed the next item from the box that was a silver cloak clasp in the shape of a snake that was a common sight on the cloaks of the Slytherin students, and he figured that it must have come from Draco. The next items he removed were a pair of wands that he recognized all to well since he had older versions of them sitting on his dresser in his room, they were James and Lily's wands, and this caused him to become slightly worried and even more confused.  
  
He then reached in and removed the last item from the box, a folded up piece of parchment. He carefully unfolded it, and when he did so, something fell from it and landed on his lap, something that caused his heart to stop. It was a gold ring with diamonds and emeralds encircling the band. The promise ring he had given Ginny exactly one year ago that she never removed, no matter what.  
  
He gripped the ring tightly in his hand and looked back into the box to see a blood red skull with a snake coming from its mouth painted on the bottom of the box and his breath caught in his throat as he quickly threw the box to the floor, causing it to splinter into several pieces before he finished unfolding the parchment, recognizing it as the Marauders map. He instantly and desperately touched the corner and muttered out the words to activate it, and after what felt like an eternity later, the map had finished forming and he frantically searched its words.  
  
All the students and professors other than himself and Pomfrey were still in their dormitories or bedrooms, apparently still asleep, but there were several names missing from the map. He first looked to the rooms he shared with Sirius to find them completely empty, as well as Remus' room, Hermione's, Ron's and Draco's. The headmasters office and quarters were empty as well, and when he looked to Gryffindor tower, his blood went cold to see that Lily, James, and Ginny were gone as well, and he knew what had happened, the death eaters had taken them in order to lure him out of the castle.  
  
He immediately jumped from the bed and with a wave of his hand, his pajamas changes into his robes and he was wearing his scarlet cloak. He quickly grabbed all the items on the bed and shoved them roughly into his pocket before summoning his staff to his outstretched hand.  
  
"What's wrong, Harry, what is all of that?" asked the nurse, finally able to speak again  
  
"The death eaters took them, I have to go to them" he said shortly as he began to walk from the room, but he stopped at the door "I think they cast a sleeping spell on the other professors and students, but otherwise, they're fine, I'll be back, but get the professors to help you set up defenses around the school and lock all of the doors and windows to make sure none of the death eaters can get back in" he added before he continued on his way  
  
"Wait! Who did they take?" she asked as she chased after him  
  
Without stopping his quick pace, he answered her "The headmaster, Sirius, Remus, Ron, Hermione, Draco, my parents, and Ginny" he said and by now they had reached the entrance hall and he summoned his sword and dagger from his room.  
  
As he summoned them though, he became dizzy and stumbled slightly, gripping his staff to keep from falling "Harry, you are in no condition to go fight death eaters, there is no way you will be able to defend yourself" she said in an attempt to keep him from going into what she feared was a hopeless battle.  
  
"I have to go, if I don't they will hurt them" he said stubbornly as he tucked his sword and dagger into his belt  
  
"Harry, think this over, you just woke up yesterday after being asleep for four days, you are still physically exhausted and your magic levels are no where near what they were before you took that potion. If you go, you could loose" she pleaded  
  
"If I don't go, they have already won, we can't cast the spell without James and Lily, and I will not let them hurt my friends or family" he said resolutely as he opened the door and began to walk down the stairs without looking back, but before he had reached the bottom step, he heard a voice whisper from behind him.  
  
"Please be careful, Harry, and please come back to us" before he heard the doors close with a loud bang.  
  
Harry walked quickly toward the forest, going in the direction that the death eater camp was when he had last seen it. When he crossed into the dark forest, he stopped, planning on transforming to make his trip easier, but before he could do so, a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Turning quickly, he found himself face to face with none other than Edward Shaw.  
  
"Well, Potter, it certainly took you long enough to realize that we had taken them" he said mockingly  
  
"Where are they, Shaw?" Harry growled with his eyes narrowed  
  
"Patience, Potter, and I would advise you not to try anything, because if you do, then you will never find them" he warned "Now, if I am going to take you to your friends, there are a few conditions that must be set" he lectured "First, you give me that staff, your sword, and my dagger. That was a gift from the dark lord for my service and I would like it back" he said as he moved forward to take the things he wanted, but Harry stopped his advance when he placed the staff between them in perfect position to strike.  
  
"I will never give you any of these things, and I'm warning you now, either release them or face the consequences" he said  
  
"I think not, Potter, but if you would prefer to go about this the hard way, then so be it, catch" he said as he pulled something from his pocket and threw it at Harry. Out of instinct, Harry reached up with his free hand and caught the item and took it in both hands before he looked at it in confusion, it was just a thin twig, but just as that thought was crossing his mind, Shaw said something and the twig turned into a pair of heavy metal shackles that were joined by a short chain. Before he could drop the binds on the floor of the forest, they wound around his wrists and joined them together causing him to drop his staff.  
  
His mind immediately felt as though it were filled with cotton and his legs felt as though they could barley support his weight, but his pride kept him on his feet and he looked murderously at Shaw who was laughing like a mad man.  
  
"Well, now you are really in it deep, aren't you Potter, surely you know what those are, after all, you were kept in something similar while you were being tortured by my master, were you not?" he asked with a laugh, and Harry looked down at his hands and saw a faint red glow coming from the black metal and realization dawned on his foggy mind "That's right, those were specifically designed for you, they not only will make it impossible for you to do magic, they also have a curse on them to limit your physical energy as well. You are undoubtedly feeling quite tired right now, are you not?" he asked mockingly  
  
"You see, we have been searching for quite some time now for the place where you, the dark lord, and the rest of the death eaters were kept in hopes of finding a way to beat you, and we finally found it. We found the shackles that were surely yours, given the amount of blood on them, and when we began to look at them, we discovered an ancient spell on them that made it impossible for you to do magic, so we copied it and added one of our own.  
  
We also found several other interesting things in that cavern, like the remains of the rest of the death eaters, and one wall and area of the ground that were absolutely stained with blood. Tell me, Potter, did it hurt?" he asked with an evil smirk on his face, but it disappeared when he didn't answer "Well, then, if you are so insistent, perhaps we should be going" he said and he approached Harry who by now could barely remain standing. Shaw boldly reached toward him and removed the dagger and sword from his belt.  
  
After looking at the sword admiringly, he turning his smiling face back to Harry "Impressive weapon, Potter, a shame it will be your undoing" he said as he lifted the sword and swung the broad side right at the side of Harry's head, hitting him hard and knocking him to the ground, unconscious with a stream of blood running down the side of his face where the blade had struck his head.  
  
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Ginny and the others had gone to bed early the night before in anticipation of Christmas morning, all planning on meeting in the hospital wing at ten in the morning to celebrate with Harry and exchange gifts. They were even planning on eating the Christmas feast there instead of going to the great hall with the rest of the school, not wanting Harry to have to be alone for the holiday.  
  
Sirius was the first to awake in the morning, but instead of feeling happy and relaxed, like he should after having a good nights sleep uninterrupted by nightmares of Azkaban or the time that Harry was missing, he woke up with a feeling of unease in his bones, and a feeling of dread clamping over his heart. He awoke slowly, aware of the sounds around him, none of them familiar, causing him to not want to open his eyes quite yet.  
  
He heard the sounds of several other people breathing deeply very close to himself, and he heard the distant sound of water dripping and a fire crackling, but that sound was so far away that the fire provided him with no warmth, instead, he was quite cold he realized when he awoke further and noticed that he was shivering. When these realizations reached his foggy brain, he became fully awake and his eyes snapped opened, but he remained on the floor where he was lying and continued to breath deeply, just incase he was being watched so that those watching would not know he had awakened unless they were directly in front of him.  
  
Not more than a few inches in front of him was a head he recognized all too well, the light brown hair flecked with gray, and he became even more worried that whoever had brought him here had managed to capture Remus as well. Shifting his gaze away from his friend after making sure he was indeed alive and breathing, he surveyed the rest of their surroundings. They were in a cave it looked like, with a high domed ceiling. The walls were made of stone, and the floor was thick, hard dirt.  
  
He knew that he wasn't able to see the entirety of their prison, they were in what appeared to bee a small room off the main chamber judging from the flickering of firelight that came through the only window that was located at the top of the door, only about a foot wide at the most and only half that tall, not anywhere large enough for escape, even for someone as thin as Harry.  
  
'Harry!' he thought frantically as he threw all caution to the wind and sat up abruptly and looked around the small room that he was in for the familiar head of long raven black hair, but to his relief and horror, Harry wasn't there. He recognized the sleeping forms of not only Remus, but Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Draco, James, Lily, as well as the headmaster.  
  
Upon realizing who all was with him, he sighed heavily and leaned on the wall behind him, debating what to do now. His wand was no longer in his pocket, and he was willing to bet that no one else had been left with theirs either, making escape impossible. He could think of only one reason why they had all been brought to this place, to lure Harry out of the castle, and he was willing to bet that just outside the door were scores of death eaters. He sat there for several moments before the headmaster began to stir. He quickly got to his feet and went over to the older man.  
  
"Albus, are you ok?" he asked in concern as he helped him to his feet. The headmaster looked around the room in confusion for a moment before he turned to Sirius.  
  
"Sirius, what happened?" he asked as he surveyed the others who were still sleeping  
  
"I'm not sure, I remember going to sleep in my room last night after I left the hospital wing, and then I woke up here. I think the death eaters captured us in hopes of luring Harry out of the castle" he said gravely  
  
"I fear that you are right, Sirius" said the headmaster heavily as he gazed around the room "Let's see if we can wake the others up" he suggested, and Sirius nodded his head and began to walk among the sleeping forms. About twenty minutes later, they had succeeded in waking the rest of the group and verifying that no one had a wand. Hermione was the first to discover that her necklace was missing, and hearing this, the others tried to figure out if they were missing anything themselves, only to find out that Ginny was missing her ring and Dumbledore was missing his pocket watch. They searched the room for nearly an hour, looking desperately for any means of escape, but none was found and they were forced to settle themselves on the dirt floor and wait.  
  
They didn't have to wait long though, not twenty minutes after they sat down the door opened up and three death eaters entered, their faces hidden by their masks.  
  
"Well, it's about time you woke up" grumbled the one in the center "Get up, you are wanted" he said, and knowing not what else they could do, they obediently stood and made their way out the door. Their first sight of the main chamber was an intimidating one to say the least. Nearly two hundred death eaters were gathered in the center of the room, their backs to a huge bonfire. Once they had fully entered the large chamber, they heard a sharp intake of breath from Ron and they all turned to see what had happened to him. His face was deathly pale and his eyes were wide as he looked around, but before they could ask what was the matter, they were ordered to continue walking, and they had little choice but to obey. They were led to the far wall and were surrounded by the death eaters on three sides with the wall behind them.  
  
"Welcome, friends" said one death eater mockingly as he strode forward and faced Dumbledore and the others, and even through his mask, they knew he had a smirk on his face "I can imagine that you are curious as to why and how we brought you here, and where here is, are you not?" he asked, but when he received no answer he continued "Well, it was quite difficult to enter the castle undetected, but once we did, it was very easy to sneak into the kitchens and put some sleeping potion into the dinner that would not act until later that night, and once everyone had fallen asleep, we simply cast a sleeping spell just in case someone missed dinner and took those who we wanted. The only ones who were not charmed to sleep were those in the hospital wing, since we didn't want to risk Potter knowing what we were doing" he explained  
  
"Now, we brought you here in order to get Potter out of the castle so that we may once and for all return our master to his rightful place at our head, and once that is done, he will destroy you all. As for where you are, I think that mister Weasley can tell you that, but I believe you can guess that for yourselves if you take a look at the wall behind you" he said with a malicious smile as he waved a hand at the wall. Hesitantly, they all turned and looked at the wall and what they saw caused them all to become sick.  
  
The wall was stained with old blood, as was the ground, and hanging from the wall was a heavy chain with blood stained shackles attached to the end of it  
  
"As you have probably guessed already, this is the place where your precious Potter brought the master and the rest of the followers, and this is also the place where he was almost defeated, and the place where he will meet his doom" he said in a chilling voice "Take them back, I'm going to go meet our guest" he said and the stunned group was herded back into the room they had just left.  
  
Once they had been left by the death eaters, and after what they had seen had sunk in, Ginny began to speak "How did they find this place? The ministry looked for three months for it and never got close, how did they?" she asked no one in particular  
  
"I don't know, Ginny" said Ron quietly  
  
"How did you know where we were?" asked James as he turned to Ron  
  
"I got pulled into one of Harry's nightmares about the time he was in this place and I recognized it" he answered  
  
"Was all of that blood from Harry?" asked Lily quietly  
  
"More than likely" said Dumbledore heavily as he settled against the wall, looking every bit his extreme age  
  
"Do you think Harry would actually leave the castle to look for us?" asked James hesitantly  
  
"Definitely, I'm surprised that he hasn't gotten here already, actually" said Sirius "I only hope he is strong enough to get out again" he added quietly  
  
The next couple hours were spent in complete silence as they all waited tensely for Harry to show up. After what felt like an eternity, they heard the sound of approaching footsteps that stopped outside their door. They all jumped to their feet and watched the door in apprehension as it was swung opened and a body was thrown onto the floor before it slammed shut again and laughing was heard as the death eater walked away again. The group looked down at the body and recognized it at once, from the scarlet cloak to the head of long black hair that was beginning to slip from its previous restraint.  
  
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A/N: Here you go, hope you enjoy it and please review, next chapter should be up later this week, hopefully by Wed. 


	57. Death

Chapter 57  
  
"Harry!" exclaimed all of them at once as they dropped to the ground next to him  
  
"He's been knocked out" said Sirius once he saw the lump on the side of his head. He gently turned him over and only then noticed the bindings around his wrists.  
  
"What are those?" asked Lily as she pointed to the shackles that were glowing a mixture of red and black  
  
"I think they are to bind his wandless magic, I saw them when he was having his nightmare too" explained Ron  
  
"Is there any way we can get them off?" asked Ginny as she tried to pull them from her boyfriends wrists  
  
"I doubt it, they are magical and probably charmed to stay on unless the counter spell is spoken" explained Remus as he brushed his graying hair from his face.  
  
"Well, there is no way we will be able to get out of here if Harry can't do magic" growled James "None of us have our wands and we are more than out numbered"  
  
"Calm down James, we need to figure out a way to get those off of him" said Lily and they immediately began to try everything they could think of to remove the shackles, but nothing they did worked and after some time, they began to give up hope, until they noticed that Harry was waking up.  
  
"Thank Merlin, Harry, are you ok?" asked Sirius as he helped Harry to a sitting position  
  
"I've been better" he chocked out weakly, "What about all of you?" he asked  
  
"We're fine" answered Ginny  
  
"Harry, what's wrong?" asked Ron in concern when he noticed Harry's weary expression  
  
Harry mutely held up his hands to show them the metal cuffs that were binding them together.  
  
"Do they have a spell on them to keep you from doing magic?" he asked and Harry nodded, again without saying a word to his friends and almost fell back to the ground if it weren't for Sirius who was practically holding him up.  
  
"What did they do to you?" demanded Draco  
  
"Nothing yet" answered Harry "They just blocked all of my magic as well as my energy" he answered, his words slurring together and eyes slipping closed.  
  
"No, Harry, you can't go to sleep, we need to find a way out of here" said Sirius sharply as he shook his godson gently to wake him further and Harry's eyes slipped back opened.  
  
"My pocket, wands" he said sleepily and the others all looked to each other in confusion before Sirius reached into Harry's cloak pocket and extracted two wands, a necklace, a pocket watch, and a ring as well as the marauders map, a cloak clasp, and the journal that Sirius and Remus were going to give him for Christmas.  
  
All of their eyes went wide when they saw the wands and James and Lily rushed forward and picked them up with smiles on their faces while Sirius handed out the rest of the items in his hand, putting the map and journal in his pocket for safe keeping before he realized that Harry had dozed off again.  
  
"No, Harry, wake up" he said forcefully as he shook his godson again, once again causing the green eyes to slide open. "James, Lily, see if you can get these things off of him" he said and the two seventh years obediently approached and tried every spell they could think of, and even some that the others told them, but none of them worked and the shackles remained in tact and in place around his wrists, still giving off their faint glow of red and black.  
  
"It's no use" said Lily finally "We can't break it"  
  
"She's right, the spell is too powerful" said James heavily  
  
"Well, keep trying" said Sirius with a sigh "Harry, wake up!" he said again when he noticed he had once again drifted off.  
  
The group of nine sat in silence for several moments before Harry spoke up "Sirius, can you help me up for a minute?" he asked weakly  
  
"Why, Harry?" asked the older man, but instead of answering, Harry began trying to stand and giving a sigh of exasperation, Sirius stood and helped him to his feet, supporting much of his weight once he was on his feet. What he did next caused the others to jump to their feet as well and stare at him.  
  
Harry closed his eyes and began to chant under his breath words they could not hear as he held his bound hands out in front of him, palms up. A faint blue light surrounded his hands for several minutes before shapes began to form in them, and slowly the shapes began to mold into that of several wands before the light disappeared and Harry slumped fully onto Sirius who lowered him to the ground, ignoring the wands that were lying scattered on the ground where he had dropped them.  
  
"Harry, how did you do that?" he asked in amazement with his eyes wide  
  
"Magic" he said quietly "I'm going to take a nap now, wake me up if something happens" he said sleepily, sounding very much like a small child as he closed his eyes again and fell into a deep sleep  
  
"How did he do that? I thought his magic was being blocked" said Hermione as she knelt down to pick up the scattered wands  
  
"I'm not sure, but he managed to summon all of our wands despite that" said Remus as Hermione handed him his wand and he put it in his pocket after inspecting it carefully to make sure it was in the same condition as when he had last seen it.  
  
"I would recommend that we keep this a secret until the time comes that we can escape, otherwise the death eaters will just take them again" suggested Sirius and the others all obliged and pocketed their own wands before settling back down, Sirius with Harry's head on his lap and Ginny holding his hand tightly in her own.  
  
After about two hours of near silence in the cell, they all heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching, and all of them got to their feet and in an unspoken agreement, stood between the still form of Harry and the door.  
  
The door creaked open and five death eaters entered, Shaw once again in the lead with a broad smirk on his face "Well, I hope you have found your accommodations comfortable, and that you have enjoyed the company of Mr. Potter, but I'm afraid we must borrow him for a few moments, but don't worry, we will return him to you" he said as he motioned the other four forward.  
  
"We won't let you take him, Shaw" growled Sirius threateningly  
  
"And how do you plan on stopping me, Black?" he asked mockingly, but before he could answer, he was distracted by another voice.  
  
"It's all right, Sirius, I'll be fine" said Harry weakly and the man spun around to face him. Harry was trying in vain to get to his feet again, using the stone wall as leverage despite the metal cuffs still binding his wrists together and sucking out every bit of strength, magical and physical alike.  
  
"Harry" he started to say as his hand began to move to the pocket that his wand was in  
  
"No, Sirius, don't, I'll be fine, just keep an eye on the others and try to find a way out of here" he said quietly so only his godfather could hear his words "There's nothing we can do to stop them now" he said in a louder voice, causing the death eaters to begin laughing  
  
"Ah, at last Potter has gotten some common sense" said Shaw "Come on" he said in a cold voice and the death eaters roughly grabbed Harry by the arms and began to lead him from the cell, and to the horror of the rest of the group, he didn't even try to fight back. Once the four men and Harry had left the room, Shaw turned to the remaining prisoners  
  
"I've been thinking" he began with a sinister look on his face "What a pleasure it will be for our master when he regains control to have his enemies closest relations nearby, so that he can begin to punish Potter immediately, not to mention what enjoyment it will offer his servants to watch you die one by one" and with those words being said, he called for the guards outside the door who promptly entered "Bring them to the main chamber, and when you get there, be sure that they are watched by everyone, I want at least thirty wands on them at all times" he ordered before he too left the room.  
  
Mutely, the nine followed the death eaters from the cell and into the large chamber, deciding that there was no way to fight, and even if there were, they weren't about to leave Harry behind in favor of their own escape. When they entered the chamber, they were immediately directed in the direction of the wall they had been standing in front of earlier that day, and to their horror, Harry was chained to the wall, his arms still encased in the metal shackles and raised above his head and attached to the chain that was handing there. He was glaring at the death eaters in disgust and hate, but when he saw his friends and family approaching, that look turned to dread.  
  
"What are they doing here? They have done nothing to you" he spat at Shaw who was once again before him  
  
"They have come to watch the show, Potter" he said with a smirk  
  
"There is nothing here they need to see, let them stay in the cell, or better yet, release them, you got me, and that is all you wanted, so let them go" he demanded  
  
"I think not Potter, they will prove useful in a short time" he answered "Now, this is your last chance, surrender now, or we will be forced to make you surrender to the dark lord"  
  
"I will never give in to the likes of him, especially since I am so close to killing him for good" answered Harry  
  
"Very well, as you wish, Crucio!" shouted Shaw as he pointed his wand at Harry. When the red beam of light struck him, every muscle in his body clenched and he let out a pain filled groan, causing tears to spring to the eyes of Ginny and Sirius to clench his jaw in anger, but with the thirty wands aimed directly at them, there was little they could do without dying themselves. Shaw kept the curse on Harry for several minutes before he let up. "Well, Potter, have you decided to give in yet?" he asked again  
  
"Never" gasped Harry as he struggled to regain his breath, only to find himself under the effects of the curse again, but this time it was twice as strong as the first and through his pain filled haze he wasn't surprised to find two different wands aimed at him.  
  
This pattern continued for nearly an hour, and last time they had counted, there were no less than ten wands casting the cruciatus curse on Harry, and still he didn't give in, but they knew he was steadily losing strength, his eyes were dull and his voice was lacking all of the former fight it had possessed.  
  
"Please, Harry, don't give up" whispered Ginny the next time the curses were lifted, a full dozen this time, but she knew he couldn't hear her, not over the laughing death eaters.  
  
Harry was so completely and utterly overwhelmed by the curses now that he didn't even notice the laughter of the death eaters, or the crying and pleading screams of his friends as they tried to encourage him to hang on. When they had first brought him into this room from the cell he had shared with his friends, he was over come with memories of the last time he had seen this place, and all that he had been forced to endure while he was here.  
  
The cold stone walls were unmistakable, and the chain that was still hanging from one was, as well as the blood stains adorning it only served to cause his stomach to be filled with lead and his body to stop responding to his commands. He had known as soon as he woke up that he wouldn't be leaving this place, and he had been prepared to face that, and fight the inevitable with all of his might, but one sight of that wall caused all of his bravery to vanish instantly.  
  
Now, after an hour of the cruciatus curse, he was ready to just give up and surrender to his fate, no matter how terrible it was. The human body was only designed to withstand so much pain before it broke, and throughout his short life, his body had been pushed to that brink on more than one occasion, and now it was teetering precariously close to the edge. Before, the pain had been both external and internal and he was able to focus on one thing that hurt and block out all others, but to do so required at least a little bit of physical strength, and right now, due to the cuffs around his wrist and the curse placed on them, he had absolutely no strength left.  
  
In fact, the only reason he was still awake was due to another curse that prevented him from falling asleep or unconscious, something else he had never been forced to deal with before now. The feeling of someone punching him hard in his jaw brought him back to reality though.  
  
"Potter, when I speak to you, I expect you to answer, I do not like being ignored" spat Shaw viciously "Now, I will ask again, how much do you value your life?" he asked quietly  
  
"More than I value yours, death eater" he answered back, surprised at just how raspy his voice sounded  
  
"That may be so, Potter, but do you value your life over, say, your godfathers, or your friends, or even your mentors, or perhaps hers?" he asked as he spun around and pointed at Ginny who's face was streaked with tears.  
  
Harry had no response to this question, of course he valued their lives over his own, but it wasn't just his life at risk here, it was the fate of the entire wizarding world. If it had been only his life he would have given it in an instant to save theirs, but was it worth all of the innocents who would be killed? He honestly didn't know.  
  
"Well, answer me Potter, are their lives more important to you than your own?" asked Shaw, but again, Harry didn't answer, instead he looked to the faces of those closest to him, and what he saw worried him even more, through their eyes he could tell that they were willing to die so that the future would be light, but he didn't know if he could go on living without them, in fact he knew he couldn't.  
  
"Bring me the girl!" ordered Shaw when Harry didn't answer, and to his horror, two men strode forward, bring with them a struggling Ginny "Now Potter, you have a choice, either surrender and we let her and the others go, or we will kill them one by one in front of your eyes. It's up to you, but you must decide now" he said as he turned away from Harry and pulled his wand from the pocket of his robes and aimed it right at Ginny.  
  
Harry looked to the face of his girlfriend, who was looking right back at him. In her familiar eyes he saw love, and fear, mixed with a strong resolve. She didn't want to die, but she was prepared to, he noted, but he couldn't let that happen, he couldn't stand for Ginny to die, she was to good of a person, with too much left to live for, and he loved her far too much to see her death. Regardless of what happened, he would loose this battle, but she could be spared, as could his friends and family, all he had to do is give up and they would be fine. With this decision in mind, he spoke up to the ex-auror who had his wand still pointed at the trembling Ginny.  
  
"Stop" he said quietly and all eyes turned to look at him, some expectantly and some in defeat "Let her go, I'll do what you ask" he said as he bowed his head  
  
"Harry, no!" exclaimed Ginny  
  
"Shut up you stupid girl, he's made his decision" said one of the death eater who was holding her harshly  
  
"Harry, think about this, we're not worth it! If you give up then they win and there will be nothing we can do to stop it" said Sirius in a pleading tone, the others all calling out their objections as well, but they fell on deaf ears.  
  
Shaw though, was positively glowing, "Wise decision, Potter" he said "If I had known it would have been this easy, I would have threatened their lives sooner" he said "Now, I will keep my end of the bargain once you follow through with yours" he concluded pointedly as he motioned for Ginny to be returned to the others. Harry nodded mutely before he looked into the eyes of each and every one of those he cared for. Hermione, Lily, and Ginny were all crying, Dumbledore looked older than ever, Ron, James, and Draco all looked horrified and unbelieving, Remus looked defeated, and Sirius looked like he had given up all hope and had a deadened look to his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry" said Harry quietly as his head fell, his chin resting on his chest. Suddenly, as he gave up the last bit of control he had, his body stiffened for a moment before falling limp again. He remained like that for several minutes before he lifted his head, red eyes shining through the thick black hair that was hanging over his face, a cruel smile twisting its way across the face.  
  
"At last" said the cold voice of none other than Voldemort "Release me!" he snapped and instantly, the chain released the shackles and they split apart, but they remained on his wrists, though the spell was taken off, leaving the cold metal wrapped around his wrists like some sort of jewelry, and he began to rub his sore arms as he surveyed the scene in front of him, from the leagues of bowing death eaters who were all muttering 'my lord' quietly, to the group of nine who were looking to him in horror. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Potters little fan club" he said mockingly "Where is the staff?" he asked over his shoulder, and an instant later, a kneeling man handed him the golden staff. "A fine weapon indeed, wouldn't you say Dumbledore?" he asked as he faced the aged wizard with a cruel smile on his face.  
  
"You may have won this part, Tom, but the light side will always be victorious" said the headmaster calmly  
  
"Believe that all you want, old man, but you will not feel the same way once I have killed your students, now will you?" he asked "Now, I think I will begin with the pretty little red head Potter cared so much about, what do you say, girl, I am going to give you the opportunity to join me, but if you refuse, I will not hesitate to kill you" he said as he looked at Ginny expectantly  
  
"I will never join someone like you Voldemort" she said with a lot more bravery than she felt  
  
"You had your chance, girl, Crucio!" he bellowed as he pointed the staff at her, causing her to fall to the ground, screaming in agony, but only a split second later, another spell could be heard being spoken.  
  
"Avadra Kedavera!" shouted someone, and confused, all watched as the green light of the spell struck Voldemort in the chest, causing him to break the spell over Ginny and sending him stumbling backwards into the stone wall.  
  
"Sirius! What are you doing! That's Harry you just hit with the killing curse!" shouted James as he looked to the older version of his best friend as Dumbledore set up a force field around the nine of them and Voldemort to prevent the other death eaters from reacting.  
  
"Sirius, how could you!" yelled Hermione in tears  
  
"Calm down and let him explain" said the headmaster sternly  
  
"That's not Harry, not anymore, I promised him I wouldn't let him hurt anyone, I promised him that I would kill him before he got the opportunity to harm any of us, and it's the only thing I can do for him" he said heavily "But I'm going to need your help, the only way to stop Voldemort is to hit him with the killing curse several time back to back while he's still weak, please help me keep my promise and honor his last request" he pleaded, and the others could see how much this killed him to have to do such a thing, but none of them knew what they could say to help, and even if they had, they wouldn't have gotten the opportunity as Voldemort had just regained his bearings and was looking venomously to them.  
  
"You will regret that, Black" he said threateningly as he positioned the staff in his hand once again, but before he could do anything, he was hit with the killing curse again, this time causing him to hit the wall behind him hard, and forcing the staff to fall out of his grip. Remus was standing with his wand pointed at him and silent tears falling down his cheeks from the curse he had just hit one he cared so much about with.  
  
When Voldemort got to his feet again, he was struck back down by Draco, and the pattern continued in such a way, with Ron, Hermione, James, Lily, and Dumbledore all firing the killing curse, all hitting their target, despite the fact that their vision was clouded with tears and most of them had turned away as they said the fateful words. When Voldemort stood after Dumbledore's curse, he was facing Ginny who was sitting on her knees on the ground, her eyes full of grief and spilling over with tears.  
  
"I will always love you, Harry" she said quietly "Avadra Kedavera" she said and the green light struck him once again, this time causing his back to hit the wall behind him and his knees to give out from his weight and they could tell by looking at him that it was nearly over.  
  
"Harry, please forgive us, Avadra Kedavera" said Sirius and the last thing that the red eyes saw was the green light flying toward him and striking him in the chest.  
  
When the last curse hit, it was as though an explosion had gone off. There was screaming from outside the force field from the gathered death eaters before it was replaced by a deafening silence. Confused, the nine within the barrier looked outside it to see all of those who had been holding them prisoner on the ground, perfectly still.  
  
Immediately, Dumbledore removed the force field and their suspicions were confirmed, all of the death eaters were dead. While they had been looking at this, Sirius had approached the body of his godson who was lying on his side facing the wall. He tentatively rolled him over and was met by glazed over emerald eyes, starring at him, unblinking from the still body.  
  
"Sirius?" said Remus quietly from several feet away where the others were all watching him anxiously  
  
"He's dead" he said quietly as he gently reached down to the face of the one he considered a son and carefully closed the emerald eyes  
  
His proclamation caused all present to begin to cry openly, Ron holding Hermione, James clinging to Lily, and Ginny holding tight to Draco as his were the closest open arms. The headmaster and Remus both had tears running down their faces as well, both looking haggard and worn.  
  
Sirius though, had no tears to cry, instead, he stood and walked to the body of Shaw and roughly pulled the Gryffindor Sword and Slytherin Dagger from his belt before he picked up the staff that was lying on the dirt floor. He mutely handed them to Remus before he walked back to his godson, and kneeling, he gathered the body in his arms and stood, holding the perfectly still form close to himself and turning to face the others who were all watching him expectantly.  
  
"Let's get him home" he said quietly, and without another word, he began to lead them the door that had been carved into the stone at the far end, leaving the bodies of the death eaters behind for the ministry to deal with later.  
  
When they reached the outside, the other two men took the hands of James and Lily and gave the signal to the others to apparate to Hogesmede. The village was deserted when they arrived, all of its occupants with their families for Christmas dinner. They silently made their way to the distant form of Hogwarts, all of them still in too much shock to speak.  
  
When they began to cross the snow covered castle grounds, the doors burst open and the forms of Poppy and McGonagall came running toward them.  
  
"Thank Merlin you're all right" said the mediwitch breathlessly as she quickly glanced over them, her eyes coming to rest on Harry who was still in Sirius' arms "Oh, Harry, poor child, what did he do this time? Never mind, bring him up to the hospital wing and we'll get him patched up and into bed for some sleep. I told him he was too weak to go fighting death eaters, but as usual, he didn't listen" she said with a fond smile, but it faltered when no one made a move to follow her "Well, come on Mr. Black, I need to check him over and he needs to get out of this cold" she said  
  
"You can't help him" said Sirius quietly "He's dead"  
  
At his words, the mediwitch paled and gripped the arm of the headmaster and the deputy headmistress looked at him disbelieving. "Wh.What, what do you mean he's dead, how?" she demanded once she had found her voice  
  
"We killed him" said James quietly as he once again put his arm around Lily and began to guide her back into the castle and out of the snow, Ron, Hermione, and Draco following them, and Dumbledore and Remus guiding Sirius and Ginny in as well with the nurse and professor behind them. They walked silently to the hospital wing, ignoring the curious and worried looks they were getting from the few students who were awake.  
  
When they reached the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey led them to the private room in the back corner and Sirius, after some gentle coaxing, lay Harry on the bed, and out of instinct, covered him with the blankets.  
  
"Come now, we should all go and get changed, we have all been through a lot and we should wake the rest of the students and staff" said the headmaster after they had all stood around the small room for over an hour, everyone present willing Harry to breath, even though they knew it would never happen again. Nodding mutely, all but Ginny and Sirius left the room in the directions of their own rooms, or in the case of the headmaster, in the direction of the staff wing to wake the rest of the professors before he woke the other houses, Slytherin and Hufflepuff, that Madame Pomfrey had not had time to awaken yet.  
  
As the esteemed headmaster of the most prestigious wizarding school in all of Britain left the hospital wing, the same thought kept running through his mind 'How can it be that twenty four hours ago, everything was perfect, and now, everything is wrong. None of them deserved for this to happen, least of all Harry. He's been through far too much already, and to loose his life in such a terrible way just doesn't suite him'  
  
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A/N: So, how many flames am I going to get for this? Please don't hate me, I will post the next chapter the first part of next week, if anyone is still reading it then that is. Please review and let me know what you though, even if you hate it. 


	58. A Spell and a Suprise

Chapter 58  
  
Sirius was sitting as still as stone next to Harry's bed, holding his cold hand in his own and starring at his still, pale face. He didn't need to say anything for everyone who had seen him to know that he was steadily going into the deep end, even Remus could do nothing to break the shell around him and decided to just leave him alone for a short time and try to deal with everything himself first. He had been there for the better part of the night when he heard angry footsteps enter the hospital wing, and the sound of Madame Pomfrey running from her office.  
  
"Where is he?" demanded the unmistakable voice of Severus Snape  
  
"Who?" asked Madame Pomfrey in confusion  
  
"Potter" growled Snape "One of the house elves just woke me up and I went to my classroom to find that it had been painted red and gold, and Potter's signature on the wall, now answer me you stupid woman, where is the little prat? He will pay for doing that, one way or another"  
  
"Severus, now is not the best time, perhaps you should go and speak to the headmaster" urged the mediwitch quietly as she looked over her shoulder in the direction of the small, private room.  
  
"No, I am going to kill Potter for what he did" spat Snape as he pushed her out of the way and stormed into the room, slamming the door into the wall when he entered, only to find himself on the wrong end of a wand that was clutched in Sirius Black's outstretched hand and shaking violently.  
  
"What do you think you are doing, Black, he deserves to pay for what he did to my classroom" said Snape as he made a motion to approach the bed  
  
"You will not get near him, Snape" said Sirius calmly in a choked voice  
  
"I wont' hurt your precious godson, Black, I plan only to teach him a lesson about pulling pranks on me, so let me by" he said in a quiet but threatening voice  
  
"No" said Sirius  
  
"Fine then, Potter, your godfather may be protecting you now, but he won't always be around and I will have my revenge" he said with a savage smile as he looked toward the lump in the sheets, but to his confusion, his threat was met by only silence "Potter, did you hear me?" he asked, but again there was no answer. Confused, he looked back to Sirius "What happened? Is he unconscious again?" he asked in a tone bordering on concern, but Sirius didn't answer, instead, he lowered his wand and sat back in the chair he had been in before and took the still hand in his again, his back to the potions master.  
  
Snape looked at the scene before him, taking in the dejected and weary appearance of his one time enemy before he moved his eyes to the black haired boy on the bed. His skin was nearly transparent looking, and instead of the normal peach pigmentation, it looked ashy. His eyes were closed, but his pupils weren't moving as was common when one is in a deep sleep. He had blankets pulled up to his chest so that his arms and head were the only things visible, and Snape looked to his wrists which were both encircled by heavy metal bands, and as he looked closer, he saw that they both had serpents carved into their dark metal. He also noticed that Harry was completely still, and that is what made him stop his current train of thought as all the hints began to add up. From his chalky face, to his still and silent form, to the behavior of Sirius.  
  
"Oh my God" he muttered under his breath, and before he could react, he felt the gentle hand of the headmaster on his shoulder pulling from the room and closing the door gently behind them.  
  
"Severus, Harry is dead" he said heavily  
  
"B.But that can't be! He's the most powerful wizard in the world! He can't just be killed! How did this happen!" he demanded as he began to pace from one end of the ward to the other.  
  
"Severus, calm down"  
  
"I will not calm down until you explain a few things to me! Harry Potter is not dead! He can't die" he said forcefully as he pierced the headmaster with his black eyes  
  
"Severus, I'm afraid it's true. Now if you would kindly take a seat, I will explain what happened" he said and the irate potions master grudgingly sat on one of the beds.  
  
"Fine, explain" he demanded  
  
So, the headmaster began to tell him what had happened, beginning with the death eaters coming into the castle, to waking up in the chamber, and the curses Harry had been subjected to. He then told about how he had been forced to choose between his own life or the lives of Ginny and the rest of those who were being held prisoner with her, and his decision. He ended with what had happened when Voldemort had taken control, and Sirius' words to them, telling the others of his promise not to let Harry hurt any of them. With a thick voice and heavy heart, he finished by telling about how they had all cast the killing curse, therefore, taking Harry's life.  
  
"Severus, he knew that Sirius would keep his promise and not let him hurt anyone, and as much as it pained Sirius, he did keep his promise, and asked us to help him. Harry was well aware of what was about to happen when he left this castle, and he was prepared to face it. I think he also knew that by killing himself and Voldemort, that the loyal death eaters would parish as well. As hard as this is to accept, we have little choice in the matter. Harry Potter is dead, and we must prepare to have James and Lily cast the spell so that Voldemort will be destroyed" he said heavily  
  
"So, you killed him?" asked the potions master in shock  
  
"In a manner of speaking, yes, we did" answered the headmaster  
  
"How could you!?" yelled the other man furiously  
  
"We did the only thing we thought we could do, by honoring his last request, we prevented Voldemort from taking control of the wizarding world" explained the older man wearily "He knew what he was asking us for, but he also knew that it was the only way. We will cast the spell as planned in four days, and on January 1st, we will hold his funeral here at the castle" he said as he massaged his temples  
  
After several minutes of silence, Snape stood and began to make his way toward the private room again until the headmasters voice stopped him "Severus, where are going?" he asked  
  
"I think it would be prudent if I were to apologize to Black for my behavior, I was acting rashly" he said, and his words shocked the headmaster into silence, never had the potions master offered to apologize to anyone, let alone a marauder, but he quickly found his voice again.  
  
"Severus, I'm afraid that Sirius is in a very fragile state of mind right now, and I can't predict how he will behave. Perhaps you should wait a couple of days until he has had a chance to process all that has happened. He is taking Harry's death very hard, just give him some time, he has lost the only person he had left other than Remus who could remind him of happier times. Just give him some time" he said, and the other man nodded his head and left the hospital wing without another word.  
  
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Everyone who had been involved in the days ordeal was in a deep sense of shock and denial, they couldn't believe that after everything that Harry had been through, that he was now gone, and not by the hand of a dark wizard, but by their own wands. They had killed the boy-who-lived. Shortly after her brother and the rest had left the hospital wing, Ginny was overwhelmed by a terrible sense of guilt and she had fled the ward in the direction of her dormitory, trying desperately to escape her pain. She had met Lily and James in the common room, who had just informed Remus and Sirius about all that had happened, and all of their faces were wet with tears, but she ignored them and ran up the stairs and collapsed onto her bed, pulling the curtains closed so the rest of her dorm mates wouldn't disturb her. Shortly after that though, she heard the sound of cautious foot steps approaching her bed.  
  
"Ginny?" asked Lily hesitantly  
  
"Go away" she mumbled into her pillow  
  
"Ginny, please, we need to talk" begged Lily "Remus, James and Sirius are here as well, it will help if we all just sat down and talk about what happened"  
  
"I don't feel like it, please go away" Ginny cried desperately, but to her irritation, the hangings around her four poster were pulled aside and Lily sat on the bed next to her.  
  
"Ginny, look at me" she said gently, and the other girl obediently lifted her wet eyes "I know you are feeling just as terrible as we are right now, maybe more so, but there is nothing that can be done to change what has happened"  
  
"But there had to have been another way, we should have tried harder to save him, not cast the curse to kill him. We all had our wands and we just stood there and let them hurt him until he gave up. We should have tried harder and not just jumped to the easiest solution" she said quietly  
  
"I thought the same thing until Professor Lupin told me that Harry had made Sirius promise to do that if you-know-who got control again. He knew that there was no other way to stop him if that happened, and if we hadn't cast that curse, then a lot more people would have died, including you, and Harry was willing to give his life so that all of us could live" she explained  
  
"But he shouldn't have done that!" exclaimed Ginny  
  
"But it was the only thing he knew to do" said Remus  
  
"How can I ever forgive myself, I helped kill the only person I have truly loved, and now he's gone and he's never coming back again, and it's all because of us, we killed him" she said forcefully as she looked between James and Lily accusingly  
  
"We feel just as terrible as you do about that, we shot the killing curse at our future son before he had even had a chance to turn twenty years old, we helped take his life away, and we can't change that now, we just have to hope that we did the right thing and go on, it's what he would have wanted us to do" said James, but as he said those words, a horror struck Ginny  
  
"Wait, Harry was the only one who could have sent you back to your own time, you're going to be stuck here now, aren't you?" she asked apprehensively  
  
"We already thought about that, and we were planning on talking to the headmaster later, after we cast the spell" said Lily  
  
"What are you talking about? Why do you still need to cast the spell?" asked Ginny  
  
"A while ago, when Harry made Sirius promise, he said that even if his body was dead, that you-know-who would be stuck inside him for at least a week, but then he would be free again, so the only way to make sure that doesn't happen is to cast the spell as planned, on the 30th" explained James  
  
Ginny nodded her head, and for the rest of the night, the five sat and talked quietly, only stopping when they realized that it was time for breakfast. Not bothering to change out of their still dirty robes, they walked silently to the great hall, and when they opened the doors, the conversations stopped momentarily before starting up again and all eyes turned to them. Apparently, the rest of the school had not found out what had happened the day before, but rumors were going around, started by those who had seen them enter.  
  
Ginny ignored the shocked, curious, bewildered, and sympathetic glance that were sent her way and looked up at the staff table, noticing that the five students weren't the only ones who had suffered from a sleepless night the night before. Ron, Hermione, Draco, Remus, and the headmaster all looked just as weary as she felt. She also noticed with a pang of sadness that the chairs that Harry and Sirius usually sat in were empty, but they were both still present. Sirius was probably still in the hospital wing, he had refused to leave Harry's side despite pleading by Remus and Dumbledore.  
  
They silently took their seats at the Gryffindor table and began to distractedly dish food onto their plates, but before they had begun to eat, the headmaster stood and cleared his throat, gaining the attention of all present.  
  
"Students, it is with a heavy heart that I must bear such unhappy news in this joyous season" he began, his frame slumped and his eyes saddened "On the night of Christmas Eve, death eaters were able to enter the castle and put sleeping potion into the dinner, and cast a spell over the occupants of the castle. While everyone was asleep, they came in and captured nine of the residents of the school, myself included, in an attempt to lure Harry Potter from the protections the castle provided, and they were successful. They were able to capture Harry as well, and when they did so, he was killed" as he said this, a gasp echoed through the hall, but he ignored it and continued "but through an unknown spell, when he died, the death eaters who were still loyal to Voldemort all died as well, and for this, we must be thankful. The wizarding world is once again free of the threat of dark wizards, but at a terrible price. I ask you all to remember Harry Potter, not as the boy-who-lived or the defeater of Voldemort, but as a wonderful person, a great wizard, and a terrific friend to all. To Harry Potter" he said as he lifted his goblet, and the rest of the hall stood as well, every student and professor, and lifted their own goblets "To Harry Potter" they chorused as one before sitting back down and eating their meal in silence.  
  
The students were all too shocked to speak to each other, no one wanting to believe it was true. The rest of the dinner was a somber affair for all of the students and staff, and very few of them actually ate any of the delicious food that was placed on the tables.  
  
When they finished the little food that they did manage to eat, the marauders, Lily, and Ginny went immediately back to Gryffindor tower where they spent the day sitting in silence in front of the fire, Ginny completely ignoring the sympathetic words that her classmates sent her.  
  
For professor Lupin, the day was spent trying in vain to convince Sirius to leave the hospital wing, but his best friend refused to leave Harry's side, despite Remus' words that his godson would not have wanted him to waste away like this. After several fruitless hours passed in which Sirius said nothing, Remus became frustrated and left the ward in favor of his own chambers.  
  
Dumbledore was forced to remain in his office for the majority of the day, answering owls from various members of the ministry and holding interviews with reporters, telling them all the same thing that he had told the students that morning, preferring that over the truth. If he hadn't been so busy, he knew that he would break down himself, much like Sirius and Ginny were doing. He had considered Harry to be his grandson, acting as his mentor throughout his school years before the attack by Voldemort, and while he was missing, he had searched tirelessly for the boy, and when he had returned, Albus had never been so happy, and now he was gone for good and there was nothing the aged headmaster could do to change that.  
  
Hermione and Ron spent the entire day together, sitting in Hermione's room and talking about the good times they had all had throughout the years. Beginning with their first journey aboard the Hogwarts Express when they had first met, three eleven year olds, Ron with dirt on his nose, Hermione bossing them all around, and Harry in his too big cloths and taped together glasses. There had been some good times throughout the eight years they had known each other, and some not so good times, but they were all memorable.  
  
Draco spent the day with his old head of house, both sitting silent and reading, but not really comprehending what their eyes were seeing. They were both thinking about all of the terrible things they had said and done to Harry throughout the years and regretting every moment of it. Sure, they had both been on civil terms with the Gryffindor since his return, but that did nothing to alleviate the guilt for the six years of previous torture since neither had ever apologized for their actions, and now they never could.  
  
Sirius was completely lost in his own thoughts as he sat in the hospital wing holding onto Harry's cold hand. He couldn't believe that after all of this, that after everything he had been through, that Harry was dead. He was vaguely aware of Remus coming by, as well as the headmaster, but he just couldn't leave. He had not stood from the chair he was in since Snape had come by the night before, and he had barely even moved from his current position. He kept hoping that if he prayed and wished hard enough that Harry would start breathing, open his eyes, and say that it was all just a big misunderstanding, but deep down, he knew that would not happen, but he just couldn't make himself leave the raven haired boys bedside.  
  
That night, in the evening edition of the Daily Prophet, the following article graced the front page with a picture of Harry with his staff and wearing his scarlet cloak heading it.  
  
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Boy-Who-Lived Murdered On the night of Christmas Day, Harry Potter, the boy who defeated you-know- who, was reported to have been killed by death eaters. That morning, nine of Potter's closest relations were taken from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to a hidden location by the remaining supporters of you-know- who. Fearing for the safety of his friends, Potter followed and was killed by the dark wizards after a struggle, but the good news is that the death eaters were defeated by Mr. Potter before he, himself fell. None of those captured were available for comment, but Headmaster Dumbledore did say that the funeral for Mr. Potter would be put off for a week to allow those close to him to say good-bye. The funeral will be held on January 1st at 10:00 in the morning at Hogwarts, followed by the burial at Godric's Hollow, where James and Lily Potter were also laid to rest. Our thoughts are with the hero of the wizarding world, hoping that he is now at peace after a life time of fighting.  
  
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The next two days passed in a very similar fashion for everyone, with Sirius never leaving the hospital wing and no one else being able to enter it for fear of what they would have to see if they did, Harry's dead body being clutched to desperately by the shell that was all that remained of Sirius. But, on the morning of December 30th, James and Lily were forced to face the fact that they would have to enter the dreaded wing in order to perform the spell to kill what was left of Voldemort, and needless to say, they were not looking forward to it.  
  
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After lunch on December 30th, James and Lily could be seen sitting before the fire in Gryffindor tower once again. Ginny was no where in sight, instead, she had left early to go for a walk around the grounds, unable to bring herself to keep them company or go and see Sirius in the hospital wing which he still hadn't left once. She had accepted it now that Harry was gone, but she didn't want to believe it, she kept hoping that he would walk up behind her and give her a hug, or come see her in the common room, but that didn't happen, so she continued to walk around the grounds lost in her own thoughts.  
  
The rest of the students had spent their day doing any last bit of homework before term started again, oblivious to what various members of the staff and other students were going through. Ever since Dumbledore's announcement the morning after Christmas, the general mood of the castle had been subdued to say the least, and the halls had been eerily quiet, and the students had noticed and become concerned with the tense expression on their headmasters face and the absence of Sirius Black, as well as the now quiet and reserved nature of the marauders and Lily and Ginny, which was normally so unlike them. Ron, Hermione, Draco, and Remus had also stopped attending meals, preferring to remain either in the privacy of their own rooms, or in the case of Remus, trying desperately to get through to Sirius.  
  
At a quarter to twelve that night, after not moving all day, James and Lily stood slowly and began to make their way from the tower in the direction of the hospital wing to meet the headmaster, potions master, Professor Lupin, and Sirius so that they could cast the spell.  
  
When they arrived at the hospital wing, all of the others were already present.  
  
"Lily, James" greeted the headmaster with a sad smile "How are you doing tonight?" he asked kindly  
  
"Fine sir, you?" lied James  
  
"As well as can be expected, given the circumstances. Now, do you two remember the incantation for the spell?" he asked  
  
James looked to Lily before answering "Yes sir"  
  
"Good, well, lets get this over with then" he said heavily as he began to lead them toward the private room.  
  
When they entered, they saw the saddest thing either of them could ever remember seeing. Harry was lying on the bed, looking exactly as he looked last time they had been there, and Sirius was sitting in the chair beside the bed. His face was void of all color, and his hair was greasy and matted, hanging around his shoulders limply. He didn't look as though he had slept since Christmas, with dark circles under his eyes, and just by glancing, they could tell that he had lost several pounds from not eating. Remus was standing behind him with his hands resting on the back of the chair, and the brown haired man gave them a small smile before speaking.  
  
"Padfoot, James and Lily are here" said Remus quietly, but he was completely ignored by the other man. "Sirius, can you get up so that they can cast the spell?" he asked, and this time, he received a response  
  
"I can't leave him, Moony, I can't leave him alone, I promised" he said in a hoarse voice as though he hadn't spoken in several days.  
  
"Sirius, please, come on back to your room, please, you need some sleep and a decent meal" said Remus as he tried to steer his friend from the room by a gentle hand on his shoulder, but Sirius wouldn't budge "Padfoot, please" he pleaded, but Sirius just shook his head and Remus sighed heavily.  
  
"Moony, I can't leave him" he said again  
  
"Sirius, he's gone, there's nothing you can do" he answered  
  
"Yes there is, I can stay with him" rebuked Sirius "After all, it's my fault he's dead, I told you to cast those curses"  
  
"And you promised Harry you wouldn't let him hurt anyone, and he was probably very thankful that you were able to keep that promise" said Remus, and Sirius mutely nodded before he got to his feet, but instead of leaving the room, he just stood against the wall and allowed James and Lily to take their positions on either side of the hospital bed.  
  
Without another word passing between anyone in the room, the two lifted their wands and on a silent signal, they began to speak, "Lavitus Nevius Videlous Reticupul" they said and a stream of bright orange light shot out of both of their wands and struck Harry in the chest, and his back arched for a moment before a shape could be seen emerging from his chest. At first it was just a few strands of black, but it swiftly began to form into a dense cloud, and nearly a full minute later, it was completely hovering above the body, and then there was a bright flash of white light and it was gone, leaving a very tired James and Lily behind, and a very relieved group of professors.  
  
"Thank you both" said Dumbledore "Let Madame Pomfrey check you over, and if she says it is all right, you may return to the tower. "I must go and inform the rest of the staff that all is well now" he said before leaving the room, Snape following behind him.  
  
"Come on Sirius, let's go" said Remus as he tried again to guide his friend from the room  
  
"Just one more minute, please Moony" pleaded Sirius, and Remus nodded  
  
"Ok, I'll wait outside" he said as he too left the room, leaving Sirius alone with Harry again.  
  
The ex-convict slowly approached the bed and took the cold hand in his own again "Good-bye, Harry" he said with tears running down his pale cheeks, and then he knelt over and gathered the boy into a hug, and as the side of his face brushed across his godsons, his breath caught in his throat and he looked to the boys face "Harry?" he whispered, "Listen to me, I'm starting to think Moony is right, I am loosing it" he muttered quietly "I'm talking to my dead godson like he were alive" he said before taking back his previous seat next to the bed, resting his head on his folded arms and dozing off, completely exhausted.  
  
Remus had been in the main area of the hospital wing for nearly half an hour waiting on Sirius before he decided that he had better go check on the other man. He quietly eased open the door and saw his best friend sound asleep with his head resting on the edge of Harry's bed and his hand holding one of the boys.  
  
He allowed a small smile to grace his face at the sight of Sirius finally sleeping as he walked to the bed. Not wanting to wake up the man, he decided just to cast a sleeping spell on him and put him into one of the hospital wing's other beds. He carefully and silently approached the bed and took a hold of Sirius' hand in an attempt to withdraw it from Harry's, but he stopped in his tracks when the back of his hand was pressed against the boys wrist and he felt a faint pulse.  
  
"What in the hell?" he muttered as his eyes went up to the boy's chest, and sure enough, it was rising and falling ever so slightly, causing him to drop the pair of hands back onto the bed and waking Sirius up.  
  
"Huh, Moony, what is it?" he asked blearily when he saw the expression on his friends face.  
  
"S.Si.Sirius.Sirius, he's alive" he stuttered, and instantly, the other man's eyes flew to his godson face and they widened in shock.  
  
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A/N: Hey, I'm amazed, I only got a handful of death threats for that last chapter! Well, I hope you are all happy now, and all will be explained in the next chapter. FYI, there are only two, maybe three chapters left, so this is defiantly drawing to a close. Thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter, and let me know what you think of this one! 


	59. The Plan and Sadness

Chapter 59  
  
He was in a bright field, facing a small cottage that was surrounded by beautiful gardens and in the distance, he could hear the sound of birds chirping and someone laughing, and something about that laugh was very familiar to his ears. Cautiously, he began to walk toward the cottage, and when he reached the sidewalk, he turned and walked around the side of in the direction of the laughter that was growing louder with each step he took.  
  
As he rounded the side of the cottage, he was met with a sight that brought a wide smile to his face. James and Lily Potter were sitting next to a small pond, apparently having a picnic, and it was Lily's laughter that he had been following. The couple both had smiles on their face as they looked first to each other and then to the pond, completely oblivious to Harry's presence in their private heaven. He watched them for several minutes before he found his voice to get their attention.  
  
"Mum, dad?" he asked hesitantly, not really believing that it was really them.  
  
Upon hearing his voice, both of them jumped to their feet and starred at him with their mouths wide open in shock, but it was James who was the first to break the awkward silence that hung in the air.  
  
"Harry? Is that you?" he asked in a voice barely above that of a whisper  
  
Harry was beyond words now, so he just nodded in acknowledgement.  
  
"Oh Harry!" exclaimed his mother as she rushed forward and captured him in a fierce hug, and he could feel the warmth of her tears on the side of his face for a moment before she pulled back and starred at him with her brow furrowed "What are you doing here, Harry? You're too young to be here yet" she asked in concern  
  
"Yeah, Harry, what happened? How did you get here already?" asked his father as he guided his wife and son back out to the blanket that was spread out on the shore of the pond.  
  
"Voldemort" was all Harry said at first, with a scowl on his face  
  
"What do you mean? Did he attack you or something?" asked Lily  
  
"You could say that, kind of' began Harry as he proceeded to tell them about the final battle, and his imprisonment, and ending with how Voldemort had decided to inhabit Harry's body and their own part in the potion that had been used and the plans for the spell to be cast before he told them about the kidnappings of his friends "I had to go after them, if I didn't, they would have killed them, killed you, but I knew what was going to happen, and I couldn't stop it. He was too powerful, and I was too weak, and he was going to kill Ginny if I refused, so I had little choice but to give up, and I hoped that Sirius would remember his promise, and apparently he did" he finished without taking his eyes from the pond.  
  
After several minutes of silence, James spoke again "Well, I defiantly have no memories of this ever happening" he said quietly as he looked to Lily for conformation, and she shook her head.  
  
"That's because you probably had a pretty strong memory charm put on you before you were sent back to your own time" explained Harry  
  
"No, I don't think that actually ever happened, to us anyways" began Lily "You see, Harry, when someone dies, all spells or curses that had ever been cast on them vanish in the afterlife, including memory spells. This never actually happened to us, when we were in school, but it is now. I don't understand it either, but it is the truth. I remember a transfer student during our sixth year who came to the school with his godfather, and I remember finding out that it was you, but you disappeared sometime during the summer, but as for us going into the future, I don't remember that ever happening" she said when she saw his baffled expression, and at this point, James changed the subject.  
  
"What do you mean that you were hoping Sirius remembered his promise?" he asked carefully  
  
"Well, a few months ago, I made him promise that he wouldn't let me hurt anyone if Voldemort got control again, and the only way he could keep that promise was to kill me, and judging by our current position, I'd say he did" explained Harry quietly, afraid of how his parents would take it when they found out that the man they had appointed as his godfather had been the one to kill him, but surprisingly, they said nothing about it, and instead, asked another question.  
  
"So, you drank this potion, and it was supposed to get rid of him?" asked Lily  
  
"Not exactly, nine days after I drank the potion, you two were to cast a spell that would finish it. The potion was just to separate everything back into what was his and what was mine" explained Harry, and Lily's eyes lit up at once.  
  
"Last you remember, how many days until the spell was supposed to be cast?" she asked anxiously  
  
"Four, I believe, why?" asked Harry  
  
"Because, I don't think you are really supposed to be here yet" she said with a smile on her face which James returned, causing Harry to become even more confused than he already was.  
  
"What are you talking about? You two are dead, and I obviously died, so how can it be that I'm not supposed to be here?" he asked in bewilderment  
  
"There are still things for you to live for, things to do. You have spent your entire life fighting Voldemort, it's time for you to live" began Lily with a sad expression on her face "It's not your time to die yet"  
  
"But it's too late, I'm dead and no one can bring back the dead" said Harry irritably, wanting nothing more than for his parents to just accept it as fact  
  
"True, but like your mother said, it's not your time to go yet, so you can be brought back" said James  
  
"But if it's not my time to die, and you were just a few years older than me, how is it that you two died, surely you had something more to live for as well" said Harry  
  
"No, Harry, it was our time. Yes, we might have been young, but our main purpose was to bring you into the world so that peace would be restored and no one else would have to die, and since we had done this, we were able to die in peace, even though we didn't want to leave you or Sirius or Remus behind, we had no choice, and you do" said James with a stern expression on his face  
  
"Fine, it what you are saying is the truth, then how do I become alive again?" asked Harry, finally deciding to humor his parents  
  
James and Lily looked to each other for a moment before his mother spoke up "Well, to be honest, we don't know" she said regretfully, and Harry threw his hands up in frustration  
  
"Wonderful, so you are saying that I'm not supposed to be here, but yet you have no idea about how to get me back" he sighed in irritation  
  
"We will just have to wait and see if an opportunity shows itself, and until it does, you will just stay with us" said James with a smile "Now, tell us about yourself, who are your friends? Do you have a girlfriend?" he asked eagerly, and Harry spent the next several hours telling them all about Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Draco and the various adventures he had had in his short life.  
  
The next several days were some of the best Harry had ever had. He spent every possible moment with his parents, either sitting inside the small cottage or beside the beautiful pond, learning everything he could about them, and vice versa, but five days after he arrived, his private heaven was shattered.  
  
The trio was sitting beside the pond as usual, basking in the warm sun when a chilling voice got all of their attention "Well, well, well, if this isn't a pretty picture, the entire Potter family reunited at last" Harry sprang to his feet and faced the owner of the voice with his eyes blazing in fury.  
  
"Voldemort" he spat when the mans identity was confirmed "What are you doing here?" he demanded angrily  
  
"We, Mr. Potter, have a battle to finish, and I will be victorious" said Voldemort confidently  
  
"What are you talking about, Tom? If you haven't noticed, we are both dead" shot Harry  
  
"Wrong as usual, Potter. When your friends cast the killing curse on you, they managed to throw both of our spirits from your body, and as we speak, they are preparing to cast a certain spell on you that is intended to destroy me. Now, what you probably don't know is that once the spell is cast, it will destroy only the weaker of the two of us, or whichever one isn't in control, and the other will gain complete control, and in essence, return form the dead' explained the evil wizard with a smirk  
  
"And how exactly do you propose we decide who is going to be in control?" asked Harry doubtfully, his parents standing in stunned silence behind him, each resting a hand on his shoulder  
  
"I can think of no better way than a duel, me and you, magic only" said Voldemort as he leveled his gaze to the boy in front of him  
  
"Fine, a duel, magic only, winner gets control, looser gives it up" said Harry with a brisk nod, noting the stiffness of the hands on his shoulders as he said those words.  
  
Without another word, Harry broke free of his parents and walked to the opposite side of the meadow from Voldemort, but he kept himself between his parents and the evil wizard before him. As soon as he had reached his spot, he saw the red light of a curse heading toward him, which he effortlessly deflected to the sky with his bare hand before he shot out a stunning spell of his own which Voldemort dodged with a quick jump to the side before beginning to fire the unforgivable curses at his opponent which all missed their mark.  
  
"Why don't you just give up, Potter? You and I both know that I'm going to be the one to win, and you know that you would want nothing more than to just stay here with your parents" taunted Voldemort as he fired another curse.  
  
"You're right, Tom, I would like to stay here with them, but not at the cost of turning you loose on my friends and the rest of my family" retorted Harry with a curse of his own  
  
"You may say that, but what do your parents think of it?" asked Voldemort  
  
"We agree with him. Nothing is worth you getting loose, because if you do, what's to stop you from killing us before Harry is even born?" demanded James, Lily nodding vigorously from behind him  
  
"Nothing" hissed Voldemort, successfully silencing all three Potters  
  
The duel raged on for another ten minutes without either one gaining the upper hand over the other, mainly die to the fact that Harry was forced to fight without his staff to strengthen and channel his powers and Voldemort was somehow in possession of his wand. Suddenly, though, Harry began to get a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, similar to a very slow motion portkey effect as though he were being pulled from behind his navel, and he noticed with satisfaction that Voldemort was suffering from the same problem, but he wasn't able to ignore it like Harry was, instead, looking around in confusion. Deciding to use his momentary distraction to his advantage, Harry took that opportunity to fire the strongest stunning spell he could muster at the evil wizard, striking him full in the chest and sending him hard to the ground.  
  
As soon as Voldemort hit the ground, the sensation of being pulled became increasingly stronger and Harry turned to see his parents, already knowing what was happening "Thank you both, I love you and I'll see you later" he said with a grim, but anxious smile on his face.  
  
"Good-bye, Harry, we love you too, have a good life" said his mother with tears shining in her eyes as she gave him a tight hug  
  
"Good-bye, son. Tell Moony and Padfoot high for me, and enjoy this second chance, not many people get these" said his father as he squeezed his son's shoulders gently before releasing him and watching as he faded slowly from their sight while Voldemort disappeared as well, but much more quickly than Harry was. As they watched their son vanish from their sight, they noticed a flash of gold in the bright blue sky and could faintly hear the sound of phoenix song before it too faded away.  
  
Harry continued to feel as though he were being pulled by a very slow portkey for what felt like an eternity before he started to hear voices through his foggy mind, but before he could comprehend what they were saying, he was overtaken by the exhaustion that filled every fiber of his being and he slipped into a deep, peaceful, sleep.  
  
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"Harry" Sirius said quietly, but he received no response so he threw back the blankets, not even noticing that he hit Remus in the head with his arm as he did so, and laid his head against the black shirt Harry was wearing, almost afraid of what he would hear, but he was rewarded with the sound of a soft 'thump, thump' ringing in his ears "Moony, he's alive" he breathed as he looked to his best friend who's eyes were still wide "He's alive" he repeated before the truth of that statement hit him like a ton of bricks.  
  
"How is this possible!? An hour ago, he was dead. He has been dead for five days! Five days Moony! People who have been dead for that long don't just come back and start breathing and their hearts start beating! It just doesn't happen! How is this possible!?" he demanded frantically, but Remus didn't answer his question, instead, he said in a toneless voice  
  
"I think I'm going to go and get Albus" he said as he turned and walked from the room, leaving Sirius starring at Harry.  
  
Remus walked in a daze from the infirmary all the way to the headmasters office, ignoring the greetings he received from various students and other members of the staff as he walked. He stammered out the password to the stone gargoyle and climbed the stairs. When he reached the entrance to the office, he didn't even knock before walking in, expecting the headmaster to be asleep, so he was slightly startled by what he saw.  
  
The headmaster was sitting in a chair next to the window with his head cupped in his hands, a look of total depression and desperation on his face. The office, which was usually clean and bright, was cluttered with scraps of parchment, used inkwells and quills, and all of the torches had gone out, casting the entire office into darkness, which was only accentuated by the pale light of the quarter moon. The headmaster himself was wearing the same robes he had been wearing for the past two days, and his usually flowing beard and hair were tangled and dull.  
  
"Albus" said Remus quietly, noting with concern that the older man didn't even seem to have noticed his arrival. Instantly, his head shot up and he pinned the younger man with his piercing blue eyes.  
  
"Remus, I'm sorry, I didn't hear you arrive" he said with a smile, looking more like the man Remus had seen only an hour before in the hospital wing and less like an emotionally crippled old man who had lost a close relative "Is there something I can help you with?" he asked, drawing Remus from his thoughts.  
  
"Yes, Albus, um, something rather strange has just happened" he began, starting to doubt what he was about to say more and more with each passing second, beginning to believe that he was on the verge of insanity for believing that a boy who had been dead for five days had suddenly become alive again.  
  
"What is it, Remus?" he asked, trying to prod the other man into speaking again.  
  
"Well, you see, after you left the hospital wing, I left Sirius alone with Harry to say good-bye, I had finally convinced him to leave the hospital wing and come back to his own room. He was in there for about thirty minutes when I decided to check on him, and when I went in, he was asleep holding Harry's hand. When I tried to pull their hands apart, I took a hold of Harry's wrist, and he had a pulse, Albus. He's alive" he said, said, still in a state of shock about the whole situation.  
  
Dumbledore stood from his chair, knocking it to the ground and in one swift movement, he was in front of Remus "What did you say?" he demanded in shock  
  
"Albus, I don't know how, but Harry's alive" he repeated quietly  
  
"Who else knows?" demanded the wizard as he began to drag Remus from the office and down the stairs  
  
"Just me and Sirius. I came to tell you immediately, and then I was going to tell Poppy. Why do you ask?" he questioned with his brow furrowed  
  
"No, tell no one else, including Poppy" he ordered sternly  
  
"But why, Albus? Everyone has a right to know, especially his friends" he said "They have had a very hard time this past week, it would make them feel so much better if they knew" he explained  
  
"I'm sorry, Remus, but no one else can know until we have had an opportunity to figure out what happened. You were there, he was hit with the killing curse ten times. He has been clinically dead for five days and until we figure out just what happened, we must keep this between the three of us" he said, his tone softening slightly  
  
By this time, they had reached the hospital wing, and with a kind smile and request to be left alone to the mediwitch, they quietly entered the room to find Sirius pacing back and forth at the foot of the bed.  
  
"It's about time! What took you so long? Where's Poppy" he demanded as he approached the headmaster and his best friend  
  
"Sirius, by quiet" said Remus as he cast a quick silencing spell around the room and the headmaster approached Harry. They both watched in silence as he drew back the blankets and began to examine the boy on his own, first checking his pulse and then casting several spells which confirmed that he was indeed alive, but before he could say a word, Terres flew in through the open window and greeted the trio with a graceful nod of her head before she settled herself onto the bedpost and watched the sleeping boy intently.  
  
"I don't know how he did it, but it appears as though Harry has beaten the odds yet again" Dumbledore said with a small smile, causing the other two men to smile as well, albeit slightly hesitantly due to the strangeness of the entire situation "Hello Terres, I was wondering where you had gotten to" he said quietly as he stroked the golden birds head gently.  
  
"What do you think has happened, Albus?" asked Remus as Sirius once again took his seat next to the bed  
  
"I have absolutely no idea, all I can think of is that something happened when the spell was cast. We will have to wait and see if he wakes up and can explain it better, but I have a feeling that he had some help from his guardian" he said as he glanced once again at Terres and Harry "The only thing I do know is that it will probably be a while before he does wake up, considering he doesn't even have enough strength or magical energy to block spells" he concluded  
  
"So what do we do now?" asked Remus  
  
"There is not much we can do, I'm afraid, but wait. We will still hold the funeral tomorrow morning as planned to prevent any suspicions, and not inform anyone of this new development until after he is awake. You two should remain here for the rest of the day, and I will inform Poppy not to disturb you. In the morning, we will take him down to his room and act as though he was laid to rest in Godric's Hollow for the sake of the public, but I'm afraid that means you both must be present at both the funeral and the burial" he said as he looked to both of them, and noting the leery expression on Sirius's face, he continued "Our plan will not work if his godfather is not present at his funeral" he lectured.  
  
"Very well, we'll be there" said Remus before Sirius could protest  
  
"Good" said Dumbledore "I'll come by later to check on you three, but right now I must change cloths and freshen up" he said with his customary twinkle back in his eye which had been absent since Christmas.  
  
Once the headmaster had left the room, Sirius turned to face Remus "Can you believe that this is happening, Moony?" he asked with wide eyes  
  
"No, Padfoot, I can't" answered Remus truthfully  
  
"I felt him breathing right after the spell was cast, I thought I was going insane, but then you saw it too and I knew I wasn't crazy, he really is alive, isn't he" he said in a somewhat awed voice  
  
"Yes, Sirius, he is" answered Remus with a smile as he took a seat next to his friend and looked to the boy in front of him in amazement.  
  
Sirius took Harry's hand in his own again, and to his pleasure, instead of the cold flesh meeting his own, it was warm. He felt a small smile grace his face and he turned to look at his best friend who was smiling as well.  
  
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Ginny only returned to the dormitory after the sun had risen, and she didn't say a word to anyone as she walked up the steps to her dorm and collapsed onto her bed, willing the tears that had been threatening to spill over all day to remain where they were, trying not to cry anymore for fear that she would break down completely if she did.  
  
She had not spoken a word to anyone since the conversation she had had with Lily and James on the night they returned, and no one had tried to push her into speaking yet, for fear that they would only do more damage, so for the most part, she had remained in her own private world, wishing with all of her might that this was all a terrible nightmare. But that wasn't true, and every time she caught sight of her wand, a wave of disgust washed through her as she remembered that it was that wand that had helped to kill Harry. It was with this thought that she reached into her pocket and withdrew the slender piece of wood, and without a moments hesitation on the matter, she gripped it tightly in both hands and bent it until a sharp crack was heard ringing throughout the otherwise silent room. With tears pricking her eyes again, she dropped the two wand pieces to the floor and collapsed once again onto her bed, not noticing the dark red feather that was sticking out from one half of the wand.  
  
She lay on her bed for several hours before managing to drag herself over to her dresser and changing into her plain black robes, the same that she had worn to Harry's memorial. Once changed, she walked back down the stairs and met Lily and the marauders, and without a word, they all left the common room in the direction of the great hall, meeting the rest of her family in the entrance hall as well as Hermione and Draco, and the sad group walked slowly into the room, sitting behind Dumbledore, Remus and Sirius, who didn't even acknowledge them. All but Ginny watched and listened to the proceedings, and in what seemed like no time, they were heading to the cemetery, and once again, Ginny paid no attention, until she say Sirius hurry away quickly and disappear with a soft pop. She didn't even pause to consider where he had gone to, instead, she just followed Ron and Hermione and the rest of the group over to the grave to say goodbye, but she couldn't manage to do it and finally gave up and hurried over to her father who saw her distress and apparated her back to the castle where she hurried to her dorm and fell onto the bed once again, and in no time, she had fallen into a deep and much needed sleep.  
  
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Sirius and Remus spent the entire day in silence in the hospital wing, sitting next to Harry's bed and just watching him breathe and early in the morning, the headmaster came back to the room as planned.  
  
"Good morning Sirius, Remus" he said cheerfully as he walked up to join them at the bed, dressed in rich black robes for the funeral.  
  
"Good morning, Albus" they chorused as one  
  
"Well, I have sent Poppy down into the kitchens to check on Dobby, but she will be back shortly so we must move Harry back to his own room. Sirius, stand back and I'll cast an invisibility spell on him" instructed the Headmaster and Sirius quickly obeyed, standing next to Remus as the old man lifted his wand and pointed it at Harry as he said the spell, which caused the boy to completely disappear from sight "Do you think you could carry him, Sirius, I don't want to levitate him for fear that I would loose him" he said with a smile  
  
"Of course, sir" answered Sirius as he approached the bed and gathered the invisible bundle into his arms. Once he had a good grip on Harry, he nodded his head and followed Dumbledore from the room with Remus right behind him.  
  
The journey to the staff quarters was quick and silent, with no one else walking the halls, much to their relief, and in no time they had entered Sirius' rooms and removed the invisibility spell from Harry before proceeding into his room where Sirius gently lay him down on the bed, and none of them were surprised when the emerald snake slithered up the leg of the bed and coiled himself in the corner, black eyes staring intently at his master..  
  
"Do you think we should change him into some more comfortable clothes?" he asked the other two men as he took in the shirt, slacks, robe, and cloak he was still wearing as well as his boots.  
  
"I don't think it would hurt anything. Where are his night clothes?" asked Remus as he looked around the room  
  
"In his trunk I think, or maybe in the dresser" answered Sirius and after several minutes of searching, Remus returned with the items and with a wave of his wand, Harry's shirt had been removed and Sirius began to gently pull the clean one onto his arms, but he stopped abruptly as he caught sight of something on his godson's arm.  
  
"What is it, Padfoot?" asked Remus hesitantly  
  
"Look" said Sirius as he stretched out Harry's left arm for the other two men to see, and what they saw caused their eyes to go wide as well. In the place where the dark mark had been on Harry's arm, was now the image of a golden phoenix, wings outstretched in flight, and as they watched the image, its head turned slightly to face them and they were shocked to see that the image on his arm was frighteningly similar to the gold bird that was perched on his bedpost.  
  
"What's going on, Albus?" asked Remus in a quiet tone as he stared at the phoenix and back to Harry's arm.  
  
"I have no idea, but I'm willing to assume that only Harry will be able to explain this as well, once he wakes up that is" answered the headmaster just as quietly.  
  
The three men stood in the room in silence for several minutes more before the headmaster again spoke up "Remus, Sirius, you should get ready, everyone is meeting in the great hall at ten" he said as he slowly left the room  
  
"He's right, Padfoot, I'll be back here at nine thirty and we can get downstairs before too many other people show up. Hopefully, that way we can avoid talking to anyone" Remus said as he reluctantly headed for the door, but he was stopped by the voice of his best friend  
  
"What if he wakes up while we're gone? He shouldn't be left alone, I'm not going" he said with finality  
  
"Sirius, we've already been over this, you have to go or they will get suspicious" retorted Remus with a sigh "Besides, Terres and Sherlock are both here, they'll keep an eye on him while we're gone, and you heard Albus, he probably won't even wake up for several days at least, now go get changed" he ordered, sounding very much like the professor that he was and less like the marauder.  
  
"Fine" grumbled Sirius as he got to his feet, and casting one last glance over his shoulder at his sleeping godson, he slipped from the room and gently shut the door behind him, a satisfied Remus beside him. Once seeing his friend out the door, he set off for his own room and showered and changed into a set of plain black robes before he went to check on Harry one last time, and seeing that he was still in a deep sleep, he settled in a chair until Remus returned and the pair left for the direction of the great hall.  
  
"How am I supposed to act sad, Remus, when I'm happier than I've ever been?" asked Sirius as the walked  
  
"I don't' know, but I feel the same way, I guess we should just stay away from everyone if we can" he answered  
  
"But what about Ginny, and Ron, Hermione, Draco, Lily, and the marauders, and the other Weasley's? they're devastated, I just want to run up to them right now and tell them the good news" he confessed heavily  
  
"Me too, but until we can figure out what happened, it's not a good idea" he answered  
  
"Fine, but I can't look at them and see them so miserable, it just makes me feel worse" said Sirius  
  
"Well, you won't have to, you and I will be on the front row with Albus, they will all be behind us" reassured Remus, and by this point, they had reached the great hall and entered silently as they looked around in admiration.  
  
The room was decorated in the same manner as it had been for the memorial service a year and a half ago, but this time, the number of hopeful faces was zero, everyone certain that Harry was truly gone this time and that there was no hope of him ever coming back again. Remus and Sirius made their way to the front row, passing dozens of sympathetic students and older witches and wizards before reaching their seats beside that of the headmaster. They greeted the older man with small smiles before taking their own chairs and sitting in silence.  
  
Not long after they arrived, the entire Weasley family, Hermione, and the four students from the past entered, all with tear stained faces and puffy eyes, all but Ginny who's expression was set in stone and her eyes focused somewhere other than the room she was standing in at that moment. It took every ounce of control Sirius had not to jump up and shout that Harry was alive to the congregated mass, but he remembered Dumbledore's words and kept his mouth shut as he focused his eyes on the closed coffin that was made of the darkest cherry, Harry's sword, dagger, and staff lying on top of it.  
  
Originally, the weapons were to be buried along with the coffin, but with the current change of plans, the headmaster had decided to keep them in his office until Harry awoke and could reclaim them.  
  
Sirius ignored the words that were spoken by the minister of magic, as well as the occasional sniffle that came from behind him, and he didn't even realize that the funeral was over until Remus gently nudged him in the ribs. Those who were close to Harry walked in a silent line from the hall towards the village where they apparated to the cemetery and without a word spoken by anyone, the coffin was gently laid to rest and covered with the soft earth. As soon as the ceremony came to a close, Sirius said a quick good-bye to Remus before he disapparated and hurried as quick as he could to his rooms, and as soon as he closed the portrait behind him, he pulled his robes and cloak off and ran to Harry's room where he was relieved to find everything just as he had left it, Harry sound asleep with Terres on his bedpost and Sherlock coiled at the foot. Letting out a sigh of relief, he collapsed into a nearby chair and resumed his customary position next to his godson holding his hand, and within minutes, he was fast asleep.  
  
A/N: Sorry guys, I've had this done for a couple of days now, but my internet was down. Hope you like this part, only two more to go! Let me know what you think. Next chapter first part of next week since I'm taking midterms right now. 


	60. Running Away to Strange Dreams

Chapter 60  
  
For the next two weeks, only Remus and Dumbledore saw any of Sirius, both of them coming to his room every break they had to check on Harry. The older man had not left his room since the funeral, and he had barely left Harry's side, preferring to take his meals on the nightstand, and sleeping in the chair beside the bed, but the other two men didn't blame him a bit, and if they could, they would have been with him the entire time, but that would cause too many questions, so they were forced to go on as they normally would.  
  
Due to Sirius' absence around the school, Ron and Draco had begun to teach the dueling club that Harry had formerly headed up, and Remus had been forced to teach all of the defense classes, and because of this, he was faced with many questions from fellow professors and students alike. It was bound to happen sooner or later, but he would have preferred the confrontation with Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Draco to have waited for a few more days, and to make it worse, Lily and the marauders were there as well since Dumbledore had not figured out how to send them home yet. It was just after dinner and Remus was leaving the great hall when he found himself literally surrounded by the five seventh years and three staff members.  
  
"Remus, wait up!" called Ron from behind him and he turned to face them with a growing sense of dread, but he plastered a kind smile on his face when he faced them.  
  
"What can I do for you, guys?" he asked politely, desperately wanting to make it to Sirius' room as soon as possible since he hadn't been down there since before breakfast that morning and he knew that Sirius was probably in need of a break.  
  
"We were wondering if Sirius was all right, none of us have seen him since the funeral" said Hermione quietly, obviously, she was still taking Harry's 'death' quite hard.  
  
He forced himself to send them all a reassuring smile "He's fine, I assure you, he just prefers to stay in his room right now, he's not ready to face the rest of the school quite yet" he lied  
  
"Can we see him? Maybe it would help if he saw and talked to someone other than just you and the headmaster" suggested Lily hopefully  
  
"I don't think that's such a good idea" said Remus quickly, much too quickly for their liking  
  
"Why not?" demanded James "What are you three hiding?" he asked accusingly  
  
"We aren't hiding anything, I just don't' think that Sirius is up for seeing anyone yet, especially anyone who was as close to Harry as you all were, it would just cause him to break down again, just give him some more time" pleaded Remus, trying his hardest to inflict as much truth into his tone as possible even though he was telling a flat out lie to their faces.  
  
"But what if it would help us to be around someone else who was close to him?  
  
asked Hermione tearfully "Harry was closer to Sirius than any of us except for maybe Ginny, it would do both of them good to be with each other right now, she is completely broken up by all of this" she said quietly so the other girl couldn't hear her, and Remus took this opportunity to look at the red head.  
  
Ginny was very pale with dark circles under her eyes, as though she hadn't slept very well at all, and her normally bright and cheerful eyes were dull and listless and just seeing her brought a pang of sadness to Remus' heart "Hermione, I'm sorry, but I can't let any of you see Sirius right now, but I can assure you that everything will be all right, you just have to have hope" he said quietly to the bushy haired assistant charms professor.  
  
"What are you talking about Remus? How can everything work out when Harry is dead? How can anything ever be right again when we killed him?" demanded Ron angrily  
  
"Trust me" answered Remus, and before anyone could respond to him, the headmaster rounded the corner and greeted the group with a small smile.  
  
"Good evening" he said before he turned to Remus in concern "Is everything all right? I thought you were on the way to check on Sirius" he asked  
  
"I was just going, sir" he responded "I will see you all in the morning, have a good night and remember what I said" he told the younger group  
  
"Would you mind if I accompanied you? I was planning on going to check on everything as well" asked the older man  
  
"Not at all sir" he answered with a smile as the two men turned and left the entrance hall  
  
"Well, that wasn't productive at all" grumbled the younger Sirius when they had left  
  
"I know what you mean, it's like their trying everything they can to keep us away from Sirius" said James irritably  
  
"Really, I think those three are up to something, why else would they refuse to let us see him?" asked Hermione as she began to pace around in small circles  
  
"What makes you think that? Maybe he really is too upset to see anyone right now" suggested Lily  
  
"I don't think so" said Ron with a shake of his head "I agree with Hermione, their up to something, but I have no idea what"  
  
"Why can't you all just give it up already, Harry is dead, Sirius is breaking down, and Remus and the headmaster are just trying to keep him together, so just stop trying to change that and get on with your lives and stop trying to interfere in everyone elses!" yelled Ginny furiously before she turned and raced up the stairs toward Gryffindor tower.  
  
"Oh Merlin, Ginny!" yelled Ron as he watched his only sister tear up the stairs  
  
"Come on, we have to go after her!" said Hermione frantically as she ran up the stairs herself, the rest of the group hot on her heels, but their chase was stopped when they reached the girls dormitory to find that Ginny was nowhere in sight, and Harry's invisibility cloak that he had loaned her several months earlier as well as the marauders map were missing too, making it impossible to find the distraught girl and they collapsed onto the couches and chairs in the common room in silence, hoping she was all right and would come back from wherever she went soon.  
  
When she had fled from her friends and brother, Ginny had immediately gone to the tower and took the cloak and map to be sure no one would be able to find her before slipping it on and running back out the portrait hole, hiding behind a suite of armor when her pursuers ran by her before she continued on her way toward the castle entrance, and once she reached it, she ran outside and didn't stop running until she was beside the lake where she collapsed and drew her knees to her chest as she broke down into a fit of tears for the first time since Christmas.  
  
She cried about everything that had gone wrong in her life so far, from everything with Voldemort terrorizing the entire world, to his followers killing hundreds, to the attack on the castle, Harry's disappearance and the state he was in when he returned, to his confession about what really happened to Voldemort and all of the chaos that ensued afterward, and finally, his death, by the hands of those who were his best friends and family.  
  
Ginny cried for several hours before she fell into a restless sleep on the cold shore of the nearly frozen lake leaning against the trunk of a large tree, the invisibility cloak still clutched tightly around her shoulders and her face stained with her tears.  
  
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She watched herself walking around the Hogwarts grounds on a warm summer day, or perhaps it was late spring, judging by the bright green blooms on the trees, but it really didn't matter because it defiantly wasn't winter. Although she was able to see everything that was going on around her, there was no sound, everything was happening in complete silence. From her vantage point, she could see several other students milling about on the green grounds, and for a moment, she stopped to just watch them. As she glanced about her dream in curiosity, she saw five familiar figures descend from the entrance of the castle, all with smiles on their faces and laughing joyously without a care in the world, and as she watched, she saw herself smile widely and begin to walk toward the group, but suddenly, she saw someone walk from the forest clad completely in black robes with a hood hiding their face from view, and the first thought that crossed her observing mind was that it was a death eater, and defiantly a male death eater since the figure was over a head taller than herself.  
  
She yelled loudly for her dream self to look out, but her cries went unheard, and for one panic filled moment, she feared that she was about to witness her own death, but then she became very confused when the figure walked up silently behind her dream self and wrapped his arms around her waist and she turned her head and she saw a wide smile break across her own face before she leaned back into his embrace and tilted her head up and met his in a gentle kiss before she saw her own lips forming three words she never thought she could say again 'I love you'.  
  
Her mind was screaming frantically as she watched this, what was she seeing? Was this her future? was she meant to fall in love with another so soon? Judging by her own appearance as well as the appearances of everyone else, these events were taking place in the near future and not several years down the road. How could she betray Harry like this? How could she ever fall in love with someone else so soon after his death? How could she ever fall in love with another man period?  
  
She was angry with herself, but she soon became angrier when she saw the dream versions of Sirius and Hermione approach them and hug the figure who was dressed in black before Ron, Draco, and Remus stepped forward and shook his hand like the best of friends. Who was this person that could so easily replace Harry in all of their lives?  
  
She continued to watch as the group of seven all sat down around the lake, herself curling up next to the mystery guy who wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and Sirius began to unpack the baskets he and Remus had been carrying with him, revealing tons of delicious looking food before they all settled down and began to eat happily and everything began to fade form Ginny's vision and she found herself sitting alone on the shore of the lake in the snow, alone and with fresh tears running down her face.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"What was that?" she muttered quietly to herself as she remembered the events of her dream, but try as she might, she couldn't come up with any possible explanation for her dream.  
  
After mulling over it for several more moments and berating herself for ever thinking it possible to fall for someone else, she began to notice the cold seeping into her bones from sitting in the snow for so long and with a heavy sigh filled with depression and confusion, she stood and made her way back into the castle, guessing that it was quite late, and past curfew, but she decided against going back to the tower and instead, made her way toward the teachers wing.  
  
Walking as silently as possible, she reached the painting that guarded Sirius' room and paused momentarily, trying in vain to remember the password, but to no avail, and about five minutes later, the portrait swung open and a very tired looking headmaster and Remus emerged from within.  
  
"Good night, Padfoot, we'll be back in the morning" said Remus tiredly before he pushed the door closed behind him, not giving Ginny an opportunity to enter, but right now she was more concerned with the conversation the two men were having.  
  
"Do you think he will ever wake up, Albus?" asked Remus worriedly  
  
"All we can do is wait and see, Remus, I have no idea" answered the headmaster as he tiredly massaged his temples "How are you doing? I noticed that the full moon is only a week and a half away, Minerva said that she would take over the classes that she could, and Severus will cover the others if Sirius is still indisposed" he said thoughtfully  
  
"Do you really think that this will continue for that much longer?" asked Remus in doubt  
  
"I have no idea, but it best we be prepared in case it does because I seriously doubt Sirius will be up to teaching before this is all behind us" replied the headmaster  
  
"I'm afraid I agree with you, Albus" said Remus  
  
"Yes, well it is quite late, and breakfast is only a few hours away, perhaps we should get to sleep as well" said the old man as he tried to stifle a yawn  
  
"Good night, Albus" said Remus as he turned and began to make his way to his own room down the hall while the headmaster went off in the direction of his office and rooms, leaving an even more confused Ginny behind.  
  
'What in Merlin's name were they talking about? Who are they waiting for to wake up? Surely it isn't Sirius since Remus was talking to him. Who are they hiding in there?' she asked herself 'And why have they been with Sirius for nearly eight hours?', but she couldn't answer any of her questions and with another sigh, she went back in the direction of the Gryffindor tower, only now noticing how tired she was, so tired in fact that she completely forgot that she had a certain map in her pocket that would answer all of those questions for her.  
  
When she entered Gryffindor tower, she wasn't at all surprised to find Ron, Hermione, Lily, Remus, James, Sirius, and Draco sitting around the fire, but she was happy and relieved to see that they were all sound asleep, a few even snoring lightly. Not wanting to face the wrath of her brother right now, she walked silently up the stairs, removed the cloak and changed into her night clothes before lying in her bed and falling into a deep sleep filled with the things she had seen and heard over the past twelve hours as her exhausted mind tried to make sense of it all, but with no success.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
When he had left the curious and frustrated students and young staff members in the entrance hall, Remus had walked silently with the headmaster to Sirius' room. Dumbledore said the password quietly and the two entered and went immediately into Harry's room, not surprised at all to find Sirius sitting in a chair beside the bed with a book in his hands, sound asleep. Harry was in the same position he had been in for the past two weeks, lying on his back with his arms beside him and the covers pulled up to his chest, still completely out of it. As Remus looked at the famous boy on the bed, he couldn't help but notice that his face wasn't quite as pale as he remembered, making him look slightly more lifelike than it had looked before, renewing some of his hope that everything would work out for the best.  
  
With a small grim on his face, he gently placed a hand on Sirius' shoulder to rouse the other man, who jumped up quickly and looked to Harry almost frantically, and upon seeing him still sleeping peacefully turned to face his best friend.  
  
"What time is it?" he asked groggily  
  
"Seven-thirty, just after dinner" answered the headmaster with a smile "How is he tonight?" he asked as he looked at Harry  
  
"The same" muttered Sirius quietly "How is everyone else doing?"  
  
"Not much better than before, I'm afraid. They really want to see you, you know. They're worried about you and think that it would help if you saw someone other than us" said Remus with a small smile on his face  
  
"What, do they think you're not good company or something?" joked Sirius before he became serious again "When can we tell them the truth?" he asked the headmaster  
  
"When Harry wakes up and we figure out exactly what happened and make sure that it is indeed himself who is in control of his actions and not Voldemort" answered Dumbledore  
  
"But if you-know-who were in control, wouldn't the dark mark still be on his arm?" asked Remus  
  
"Probably, but I'm still not a hundred percent positive, and until we have all of the answers, I don't want to risk anyone else finding out" sad the headmaster for the hundredth time since they discovered that Harry was indeed alive  
  
Neither of the men argued with him, as usual, and Remus and Dumbledore managed to coax Sirius to come to the living room where Dumbledore conjured up some dinner for the exhausted man. The three talked for a some time before Remus told Sirius that they would sit with Harry so he could get cleaned up and catch a couple of hours of sleep, which Sirius reluctantly agreed to since there was no way he could argue with both of the men. It was nearly three in the morning when he awoke again and went to relieve Remus and Dumbledore who bid him goodnight and left for their own rooms with promises to return before breakfast.  
  
Sirius settled once again in his customary place and picked up the book he had been reading before he dozed off earlier that night and began to read again, becoming so absorbed in his reading that he dropped the book when he heard the sound of a faint moan coming from the bed in front of him. Frantically, he jumped to his feet and rushed to the side of his godson's bed.  
  
Harry was moaning softly and he looked like he was fighting the unconsciousness that had overtaken him, and gently, Sirius took his hand in his own "Harry?" he asked quietly, and after several long agonizing minutes, the bright emerald eyes were forced open and they focused blearily on Sirius' own pale blue, tear filled eyes. "Harry, can you hear me?" he asked worriedly, and much to his relief, Harry wearily nodded his head before he shakily raised his hand to his throat.  
  
"Water" he croaked out in a cracking voice and with a wave of his wand, Sirius had conjured a glass and with one arm behind his godson's shoulders to support him, he put the goblet to his lips and he greedily swallowed the entire thing before Sirius laid him back down "Thanks, Sirius" he said quietly with a small smile  
  
"Oh God Harry, I can't believe you are really here!" exclaimed Sirius as he gave his godson a gentle hug.  
  
"Me neither, Sirius" said Harry as he weakly returned the gesture of affection.  
  
After several moments, Sirius released him and sat down on the side of the bed "How are you feeling?" he asked in concern  
  
"Not too bad, considering, just extremely tired" answered Harry truthfully, some of his energy returning to him the longer he stayed awake  
  
"Good, now tell me what in the bloody hell happened?" he demanded  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Harry in bewilderment  
  
"Well, let's see here, you were DEAD for five days, as in not breathing with absolutely no heartbeat, as in we had planned your funeral, and now, you're obviously alive, now what happened?"  
  
"Oh" said Harry quietly "Was I really dead?" he asked in amazement  
  
"Quite" answered Sirius with a brisk nod of his head  
  
"Oh" repeated Harry  
  
"Well, are you going to tell me how this happened?" asked Sirius when Harry said nothing more  
  
"To tell you the truth, I have no idea. I remember being somewhere with my parents for a while, then Voldemort came and we dueled, and I guess I won, then I remember a feeling like I was being pulled somewhere, then I woke up here" he said with a shrug of his shoulders "I have no idea how it happened though, but my mother did say that it wasn't my time yet and that there was some way that I could come back, I guess that was what she was thinking of" he said more to himself than anything  
  
"Can you answer this for me? Is you-know-who still inside of you?" asked Sirius hesitantly, and he let out a sigh of relief when he saw Harry's face break into a wide grin  
  
"Nope, it's just me in here now!" he said happily before his expression fell abruptly "Where is Ginny and everyone else? I thought they would refuse to leave here" and Sirius began to shift uncomfortably on the bed  
  
"Well, they don't know that you are alive, only Remus, Dumbledore, and myself know. We didn't want to tell anyone else until we were sire it was you in control and not you-know-who" he explained almost guiltily  
  
"Wait, didn't the fact that you cancelled the funeral give it away?" asked Harry in confusion  
  
"Not quite, we still had the funeral so that no one would become suspicious" he said quietly  
  
"So everyone thinks I'm still dead?" he asked in shock "Even Ginny, and Ron, and Hermione?"  
  
"I'm afraid so" said Sirius regretfully and Harry slumped back into the bed with a heavy sigh  
  
"Well this is going to take some explaining" he muttered under his breath, causing Sirius to begin to chuckle from beside him  
  
"So, you have no idea how you came back to life" he said as way of clarification and when Harry nodded he continued "Do you remember anything about Terres from the time you were, well, dead?" he asked  
  
"No, why do you ask?" answered Harry  
  
"Look at your arm, we saw it when we first brought you here" said Sirius with a smile  
  
Curious, Harry rolled up the sleeve to his pajamas and looked to his arm, expecting to see the dark mark, but instead, he saw image of his guardian tattooed there instead, solid gold with her wings outstretched in flight, causing his eyes to go wide as he looked first to Sirius and then to Terres who was still perched on his bedpost.  
  
'Don't look so shocked, my child' said the phoenix with a small chuckle in her voice  
  
'Terres, what happened?' he asked in bewilderment  
  
'No one who is so pure should be branded by something so dark' answered the golden bird mysteriously before spreading her wings and setting off toward the window  
  
'Where are you going?' asked Harry in bewilderment  
  
'Do not fear, my child, I will be watching out for you, and I will return when the need arises. Your battle is over for now, you are now able to live your life like you deserve and desire' she answered and she began to sing her wonderful melody as she flew out the window, and slowly she and her song faded away and only then did Harry turn back to his godfather.  
  
"Is everything ok, Harry?" he asked in concern  
  
"Perfect, Sirius" responded Harry tiredly "So how long have I been 'dead' for?" he asked in an attempt to distract the older man  
  
"Well, today is January 15th, so just over three weeks now" answered Sirius, and Harry moaned loudly  
  
"This is really going to take some explaining" he muttered again  
  
"That can wait until tomorrow though, when you are strong enough to get out of bed. Go to sleep now, it's late, tomorrow you can go and find Ginny and your friends" he said sternly, but Harry had one more question  
  
"Are my parents still here?"  
  
"Yes, Albus hasn't been able to find a way to send them back yet, so you can speak to them too in the morning" he said "Now, go to sleep" he ordered  
  
"All right, good night Sirius" he said as he burrowed into his blankets and fell immediately to sleep, and with a smile on his face Sirius left the room and fell asleep himself on the couch, not wanting to be any further away than that from his godson in case he needed anything and feeling better than he had in quite some time.  
  
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A/N: All right, almost the end here, hope you all enjoyed this chapter, the final one won't be up until the weekend since it's spring break, sorry, but a little good news, for me at least, I just bought a horse! I'm kind of excited about it, she's a yearling tobiano paint filly, and for those of you who have no idea what that is, she's completely white with a brown head, a little brown on her hind quarters, black tail, and black and white mane, I named her Meeka. Ok, enough of that, please review this chapter and I'll get the last one posted as soon as possible, also, if you have any ideas or suggestions about a sequel or another story I can write, let me know in a review, I have a few myself, but nothing concrete yet. Review, please! 


	61. Life Goes On

Chapter 61  
  
When Harry awoke the next morning, it was to bright sunlight streaming through the high window in his bedroom, and the sounds of someone, probably Sirius, moving around in the living room. Taking a deep breath and squinting his eyes from the brightness of the sun, he reached over to his nightstand in search of his glasses, but he was confused that they weren't there and he groaned in irritation before a thought came to mind.  
  
'What the hell' he thought to himself 'I have to try it sometime, why not now?' and with that, he passed his hand over his eyes and his vision instantly cleared and he was able to focus, causing a smile to break out on his face. Satisfied with his accomplishment, he threw the blankets that were covering him off and swung his legs off the bed before standing, but he was forced to grasp the bed post when he swayed dangerously on his feet, and at that moment, Sirius entered his room and his face clouded over with worry as he saw his wobbling godson, but before he could speak, Harry looked to the bedpost that his hand was grasping and a look of utter annoyance and confusion crossed over his face. He quickly brought his other wrist into his line of vision and his expression darkened so Sirius decided to intervene.  
  
"Harry! What are you doing, get back in bed right this instant!" he ordered as he approached his godson  
  
"I'm fine, Sirius, just a little dizzy" answered Harry, and to prove his point, he let go of the bedpost and started to walk toward the door, but he didn't resist the gentle hand on his arm that was offering support.  
  
Sirius sighed as he assisted his godson from the bedroom and helped him into a chair at the breakfast table before he sat himself "Harry, you really don't need to be up yet, you aren't strong enough" he admonished as he started to eat the food that was on his plate, noting with satisfaction that Harry was doing the same.  
  
"I'm fine, Sirius, promise, I just need to get up and about and I'll be just like normal, besides, I need to go and find Ginny and the others today" he said around a mouthful of eggs.  
  
"Harry, you need to take things slowly, you were in the hospital wing unconscious for four days before we were taken, then you were dead for a week and then unconscious for another two, your body has pretty much not moved for over a month and you aren't as strong as you were" he lectured  
  
"Padfoot, trust me, I'll be fine, but I really need to tell everyone that I'm alive" he said firmly  
  
"Fine, but promise me you'll be careful" he relented  
  
"I promise, mum" said Harry with a smirk, but Sirius chose to ignore his comment and Harry asked another question  
  
"Why didn't you take these things off when you brought me back?" he asked as he surveyed the metal bands that were still around each wrist. Although they were no longer connected to each other, and didn't give off any light to show they were still active, Harry didn't like them.  
  
Sirius sighed before he answered "I was wondering when you'd ask me that" he began "You see, when we brought you back, all of us, including Dumbledore and he rest of the professors, tried to remove them so that you wouldn't have them for your funeral, but no matter what we tried, they wouldn't come off. When we realized you were alive, we thought that your magic was what was keeping them on and that you could take them off" he finished  
  
"Huh, well, I might as well try it" muttered Harry as he waved his right hand over his left wrist, but nothing happened. He them tried to physically pull it off, but it just held tight and refused to be moved and just as he was getting desperate, he heard the voice of Terres speaking to him through their link  
  
"My child, you can never remove those" she said gently  
  
"What do you mean?" demanded Harry angrily  
  
"They are a symbol of your heritage. Look carefully at them" she instructed and Harry grudgingly obeyed, ignoring his godfathers concerned expression. Each band covered about two inches of his wrists and was as thin as tissue paper, and he was surprised that they weren't in the least bit uncomfortable, moving with the motions of his wrist, much unlike the shackles that had bound his hands and magic in the cavern which had been much thicker and harder, but the metal, like before, was pitch black, and as he looked closer, he saw that silver snakes were carved delicately around them, their green eyes sparkling in the fire light as Terres spoke up again "Much like your sword and dagger, these are a symbol of who you are" she explained  
  
"What are you talking about?" growled Harry into his mind, quickly becoming frustrated  
  
"You are the descendant of Godric Gryffindor through your fathers side, my old master. The mark on your arm is his sign" she began "And on your mothers side you are descended from Salazar Slytherin, the bands on your wrist contain his sign" she said gently  
  
"I don't' wish for that fact to be known by anyone. Slytherin and all that he stood for were evil and I will not have my name associated with his in any way" screamed Harry into his own mind as he tried in vain to pull off the bands  
  
"Calm down, my child, for you don't know the entire truth. Voldemort brought shame and lies to the Slytherin name. The true Salazar Slytherin was a close friend with the others founders, and only left the school because of a difference of opinion. He didn't wish for muggle born students to attend Hogwarts, but he would never have harmed them, he thought that they should have their own school instead where they could learn magic. Do not believe the lies that Voldemort spread about your ancestor, he was a very strong and kind wizard, with an ambition to be the best at everything he did, no matter what the cost, which is not a bad ambition at all until those around you are hurt because of that ambition. You should be proud of your heritage, for you are the product of two very great families, different, but great, and because of you, the wizarding world has once again fallen into harmony" she said in her melodious voice  
  
"Fine, I'll wear them, but I don't have to like them" muttered Harry  
  
"You have no choice but to wear them, my child, for no force on earth or anywhere else would be able to remove them" chuckled Terres as Harry snapped out of his dazed state and looked to Sirius  
  
"Man, you really scare me when you go into trances like that" said Sirius "What was going on?" he asked curiously  
  
"Not much, I was just talking to Terres. Apparently, I can't take these thing off because they are a sign of my heritage" he growled angrily as he quoted his guardian in frustration, and Sirius decided to change the subject before everything in the living room exploded from Harry's anger.  
  
"So, are you going to just show up in the great hall at lunch, or are you going to be more subtle?" he asked with a mischievous glint in his eye  
  
"I'm not sure yet, who did you say knows that I'm not dead again?" he asked as his mind was brought out of his irritation  
  
"Just me, Moony, and Albus" he answered  
  
"Well then, your idea might actually prove to be fun" answered Harry with another smirk on his face "When do you have classes today?" he asked  
  
"I don't, Moony has been teaching mine for me while I stayed with you" answered Sirius  
  
"Well, I have an idea. Why don't you go ahead and teach classes with Remus today, and act like nothing happened at all, act just like you always have, and at dinner, I'll make my grand appearance, but you have to swear not to tell anyone" he said sternly  
  
"Why don't you just tell them at lunch?" asked Sirius bewildered  
  
"Because, I want to find Ginny before she goes to lunch and tell her, she doesn't need to find out like that" he answered  
  
"What about Ron, and Hermione, and Draco and the marauders and Lily? Are you going to tell them then too?"  
  
"I don't think so, I want to see their reactions in front of the entire school, but you need to bring a camera, I want to remember this for the rest of my life" said Harry with a grin  
  
"Deal, well, since I have to teach today, I had better get to class. How are you going to get Ginny's attention without scaring her to death?" he asked as an afterthought  
  
"Don't you have seventh year Gryffindors right before lunch?" asked Harry  
  
"Yes" answered Sirius hesitantly  
  
"Good, I'll be there, and at the end of the class, ask her to stay behind so you can have a word with her, I'll tell her then" he said with a nod of his head  
  
"Sounds good to me" said Sirius as he stood "I'll see you then, have a good morning, and don't enjoy yourself too much" he said with a glint in his eyes  
  
"Don't worry, no threat there" said Harry with the same glint in his emerald eyes  
  
Sirius walked down the hall in the direction of the defense room with a smile on his face, completely unaware of the fact that he was being followed by the invisible figure of his godson who wanted to 'observe' the students reactions to Sirius' presence in the classroom for himself.  
  
Harry allowed a smile to cross his features as Sirius began to whistle as he walked a bit faster, causing Harry to increase his pace as well and in what seemed like no time at all, they had reached the closed door of the defense against the dark arts classroom and Harry could hear the sound of Remus' voice coming from within.  
  
Sirius paused for a moment before the closed door and Harry saw him take a deep breath as he appeared to consider something thoroughly, and before Harry knew it, Sirius had thrown the classroom door open, causing it to bang the wall loudly as he strode forward, his face expressionless and strongly resembling Snape from Harry's first day of potions. Harry slipped through the door as well and proceeded to the front corner of the room so he could see the students reactions to his godfathers entrance.  
  
Remus had been speaking when Sirius entered, and his words were lost as he saw his best friend striding up the middle of the room, no expression on his face. "Um, Padfoot?" he asked hesitantly  
  
"Yes, Moony, old pal" answered Sirius with a broad grin, and Harry could barely contain his laughter  
  
"Um, is everything all right Sirius?" he asked  
  
"Never better Remus!" said Sirius happily as he reached the desk and sat happily on top of it  
  
"What are you doing here, Padfoot?" he asked, completely ignoring the shocked and silent class behind him  
  
"Well, I thought I had been away from my students long enough and it is past time for me to come back" he said before turning to the class, sixth year Ravenclaw "So, what have you learned in my absence?" he asked the class, who remained utterly silent, the majority of their mouths hanging wide open before one girl got the guts to speak  
  
"Professor Black, are you feeling ok?" she asked hesitantly  
  
"Fine Miss Berry, and yourself?" he asked, and even from his distance, Harry could see the twinkle in his eyes  
  
"Um, fine sir" she answered as she turned away, but another student spoke up in her stead  
  
"What made you decide to come back?" he asked  
  
"Mr. Christensen, my place is here teaching you, so here is where I am. Besides, life must go on, am I right?" he asked and even Harry almost thought he was being serious, almost.  
  
"I guess so, but where have you been?" he asked  
  
"Down in my room sulking like a baby, but this morning I realized that nothing is worth watching my life pass by like that, nothing" said Sirius with a smile, and only now did Remus seem to realize what was going on and Harry saw a smile beginning to pull at the sides of his mouth, despite the sputtering that was being heard from the students.  
  
"B.But, sir, what do you mean?" demanded one student, the others all nodding as they thought that Sirius was talking about Harry's death as though it were nothing to him  
  
"Just what I said, absolutely nothing is so important that you should put your own life on hold for it, now why don't we get back to the lesson. I believe that Remus was speaking to you about the curses that are common on ancient artifacts" he said, and since the class was made up of entirely Ravenclaw students, they were more concerned with learning than with trying to figure out their strange teacher so they settled down and resumed their note taking, and it didn't take even five minutes before Harry was falling asleep where he stood, so he quietly crept through the cracked door and into the office, with only Sirius hearing the door click as it was shut, and he knew who it was so he continued teaching.  
  
After the class was over and the students had left, Remus turned to his best friend demanding an explanation "What happened? Why aren't you with Harry?" he asked  
  
"I am, Harry is in the office, he went in there about an hour ago" he said calmly  
  
"He woke up?" asked Remus with hope in his eyes  
  
"Yes, last night, and this was all his idea, just so you know" said Sirius with a smile  
  
"Harry's awake?" repeated Remus  
  
"Yes, Moony, he's awake" said Sirius slowly  
  
"How is he?" asked the werewolf hesitantly, but Sirius' smile calmed his nerves  
  
"Fine, a little tired and dreading all the explaining he's going to have to do, but other than that, fine" he said with a hand on his friends shoulder "Come on, lets go see what he's up to" he said as he began to walk toward the office, Remus right behind him  
  
When they opened the door, though, they didn't find what they expected, instead, they found Harry sound asleep on the couch in front of the fire place and Remus caught sight of the black bands just showing from under the arms of Harry's robes.  
  
"Well, maybe we could talk to him later" said Sirius quietly as he backed out of the room  
  
"Yeah, I would really hate to wake him. Why don't you just take him back to his room while everyone is in class?" asked Remus  
  
"I can't, he wants to talk to Ginny after her defense class" answered Sirius as he took a seat on one of the empty benches inside the defense classroom while Remus sat behind the teachers desk  
  
"Oh, so, what did Albus say when you told him that Harry woke up?" he asked  
  
"Well, I haven't told him yet, but I'm sure he knows, after all, he seems to know everything that goes on in this castle, doesn't he?" said Sirius with a guilty looking smile  
  
"True, when is Harry going to tell the rest of the school?"  
  
"Tonight at dinner, he said something about wanting to make it a surprise, it should prove interesting if nothing else" he said with a mischievous smile on his face  
  
"I must agree. How many people do you think will try to hex him on the spot when they see him?" asked Remus with an identical expression of mirth  
  
"I would be disappointed if it were any less than twenty" responded Sirius after he appeared to consider his question carefully "And I am willing to bet that there will be a lot of screaming and several people fainting" he added as an afterthought, causing Remus to burst out laughing  
  
"I think I have little choice but to agree with you Padfoot" he said once he had regained control of his laughter once again, but before his best friend had a chance to respond, the door to the office creaked open and they both turned to see the sleepy form of Harry emerging  
  
"What time is it Sirius?" he asked through a wide yawn, not noticing Remus' presence yet  
  
"Ten-fifteen, have a good nap?" he asked as he motioned for Harry to take a seat beside him which the younger boy readily did  
  
"Fine" answered Harry, but he lifted his head and saw Remus for the first time "Remus! I didn't even see you!" he exclaimed as he shot the other man a wide grin  
  
"It's good to see you too, Harry" he said with a kind smile "Do you have any idea how this happened?" he asked with his brow furrowed, apparently unable to contain his curiosity any longer, so Harry launched into his tale for the second time, telling Remus exactly what he told Sirius and causing the man to be just as confused as the other two, but he was unable to ask any more questions as he heard the sounds of the seventh year Gryffindors gathering in the hallway "It's time for class" he said to Sirius "Are you going to stay here, Harry?" he asked  
  
"Yeah, I'll just watch from the corner, I rather enjoyed Sirius' performance in the last class" he said as he shot a meaningful look to his godfather who plastered an innocent expression on his face  
  
"I have no idea what you are talking about" he said calmly and Harry and Remus just laughed before Harry stood and an instant later, he was once again invisible and standing in the corner of the room as Remus waved his wand and the door to the classroom opened allowing the students to enter.  
  
As the students filed in, many sent Sirius questioning glances, but the marauders, Lily, and Ginny refused subtly and ran right for him  
  
"Sirius, how are you holding up?" asked Lily  
  
"Just fine, Lil's, and you?" asked Sirius with a smile, which earned him very confused looks from the younger versions of he and his friends and an accusing one from Ginny  
  
"Um, we're fine" answered Lily  
  
"So, what made you decided to come to class?" asked James  
  
"Time to move on" answered Sirius with a shrug of his shoulders before he turned to Ginny  
  
"Ginny, could you please stay after class, I would like to talk to you" he said gently, noting that the girl still had dark circles under her eyes and a distant expression on her face, but she nodded in acknowledgement "Thanks, now you five had better take your seats so we can get started" he said and they obediently took their seats and Remus began class.  
  
The entire hour and a half that the lesson lasted, Harry couldn't take his eyes off of the stricken face of his girlfriend. Her complexion was pale and she looked as though she hadn't eaten properly or slept for days and he felt a pang of guilt in his heart at the thought that he was responsible for her anguish. Finally though, the lesson was brought to an end and the class, minus Ginny, gathered their things and left the room. When the door was closed and locked behind the last one, Ginny jumped from her desk and ran to Sirius sobbing, clutching desperately to his robes.  
  
"Shh, Ginny, what's wrong?" asked the man gently as he pried his robes from her grip, and Harry decided he would wait until she calmed down a bit before he approached her so that he didn't frighten her to death.  
  
"I.I h.had a dr.dream last night" she began through her tears "I dreamt that I was with someone else, and everyone was there, we were having a picnic, and I told him that I loved him. IT couldn't have been more than a month or two from now. How could I even dream about something like that? How could I betray Harry so terribly by even thinking that I could fall in love with someone else? And that you and Ron and Hermione and everyone would welcome him with open arms like he was a long lost friend? How could I betray Harry like that?" she asked again, and from his place in the corner, Harry felt tears come to his own eyes at her words  
  
"Who was he, Ginny?" asked Sirius gently  
  
"I don't know, he was wearing a cloak with the hood up, I never saw his face, all I saw was that he was about a head taller than me" she said quietly with her eyes on the stone floor  
  
Harry couldn't stand it any more. Ginny had probably had a dream about him, especially since he knew that no one would be welcomed with open arms into his godfathers or friends lives, and here she was thinking that it had been someone else because she thought he was dead. He took the invisibility spell off himself and noticed Sirius and Remus looking at him as he approached, Ginny's back to him.  
  
"Ginny, listen carefully to me, ok, I don't want you to be frightened. What you are about to see will come as a complete shock, but you mustn't over react. Promise me" said Sirius as he gripped her shoulders  
  
Ginny mutely nodded her head, and by now, Harry was only a step from her and he gently placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
When Ginny felt the hand on her shoulder, she looked to it in confusion, not realizing that anyone else was in the room, and what she saw caused her heart to stop. The hand was crisscrossed with faint scars, and only one person she knew had so many scars. Hesitantly, she turned around and found herself looking into a very familiar pair of emerald green eyes that were sparkling with unshed tears.  
  
"Hello, Ginny" said Harry quietly, his voice cracking  
  
"H.Ha.Harry?" she asked, not believing it was true but hoping with all of her heart that it was, and her dream came true when he nodded his head and she flung herself into his arms "Oh my God! Harry, I can't believe it!" she exclaimed as tears once again spilled down her cheeks. They stayed like that for several silent minutes, just holding each other like a lifeline until Ginny broke the embrace, wanting answers "What happened?" she asked as Harry guided her onto one of the benches, Remus and Sirius following.  
  
"I'm not entirely sure, to tell you the truth. I remember the killing curses, and then I woke up with my parents. After that, Voldemort came and we dueled, and then I woke up in my bed last night" he said with a shrug of his shoulders, but his last words confused Ginny even more  
  
"What do you mean you woke up in your bed? We had your funeral two weeks ago, you were buried" but it was Remus who answered her question  
  
"Actually, he wasn't buried. Right after the spell was cast by James and Lily, Sirius and I realized that he was breathing and we told the headmaster. We decided that since we didn't know who was in control of Harry, him or you-know-who, that we couldn't tell anyone else what we had discovered, so we had to continue with the funeral as planned, but the coffin was empty and Harry was in his room in the staff quarters. So far, only myself, Sirius, you, and Dumbledore know that Harry is alive, and the headmaster doesn't even know he is awake yet" he explained  
  
"Oh" was all Ginny could say "Well, when are you going to tell everyone else?" she asked after several minutes of silence  
  
"Dinner" answered Harry with a grin on his face  
  
"You do realize that you will probably be curse on the spot, more than once, don't you?" she asked with a watery smile on her face as well  
  
"Ah, yes, but that is one advantage to being the strongest wizard alive" he said with a smirk, causing the other three to laugh heartedly  
  
"But seriously, Harry, we can't let anyone hurt you" said Sirius in mock concern  
  
"What do you mean, Padfoot?" asked Remus  
  
"Well think about it, we really need to stop having funerals for him or people will stop coming" he said with a twinkle in his eye, earning himself a sharp knock to the back of the head from his godson  
  
"Ha ha, very funny" he said in irritation, but Ginny decided to add her own thoughts to that  
  
"He has a point, we've already had two funerals for you and you aren't even twenty years old, and you obviously haven't died yet" she said, but here Harry decided to get some revenge of his own  
  
"wrong, I have died, for an entire week in fact, I just can't seem to stay dead" he said with a smile, causing another round of laughter to break out around the room.  
  
"Well, why don't you two go on into the office for the rest of the afternoon and catch up, our next class should be here in a few minutes" said Remus as he looked at his watch  
  
"But I have lessons this afternoon" grumbled Ginny, "And a test in potions" she added as she hit her head on the table  
  
"Go take your test, and them come back here, I'll excuse you from your other classes, but I can't help you with Snape" said Remus  
  
"Sounds good!" said Ginny as she bounded to her feet, looking more like the happy and lively girl she was before Christmas  
  
She quickly gathered her thing with Harry's help, and after a long kiss goodbye, which Sirius and Remus thankfully ignored, she was on her way to the door "Hey, Gin, remember, don't tell anyone, especially Snape, I want to see his face when I walk into the great hall tonight" said Harry with a grin  
  
"Oh, don't worry, I'm looking forward to that way too much to tell. BY Sirius, Remus, love you Harry" she said as she opened the door  
  
"Love you too, Gin" said Harry as she left "Well, I think I'm going to go and take another nap until she gets back" said Harry with a yawn  
  
"Good idea, you look tired" said Sirius  
  
"Tired, but happy" added Remus, but as Harry cover his mouth with his hand, he again caught sight of the bands of his wrists and decided to ask Sirius about them before class started, and when he did, he received the same answer Sirius had received that morning and he decided to just ignore it for the time being.  
  
When Ginny arrived after her potions exam, she immediately went into the defense office and found Harry sitting waiting for her, and when she saw him, her face broke into a wide smile since she realized that this wasn't all some wonderful dream but real life, and she wordlessly curled up beside him on the couch and they spent the rest of the afternoon talking about everything and nothing, finally being able to without the threat of Voldemort hanging over their heads.  
  
After the last class of the day, Remus and Sirius returned to the office giddy with anticipation for the nights events.  
  
"So, we're going to go ahead and go to dinner, wait until about fifteen minutes after it has started before you two come in, that way we know that everyone is there" said Sirius as he rubbed his hands together excitedly  
  
"Yes, Sirius" said Harry teasingly to his godfather "Now, go on up, and remember, I want pictures" he reminded them with a twinkle in his eyes  
  
Obediently, the two men left, and twenty minutes later, Harry and Ginny decided it was time to go and shock the rest of the school, so they quickly made their way to the great hall, thankfully not passing anyone on their way there, and when they arrived at the closed doors, they could hear the excited chatter of the students from the other side of the doors.  
  
Ginny was about to push them open when Harry pulled her back "What's wrong?" she asked in concern  
  
"Just a minute" he said as he closed his eyes and erected a shield around the two of them "There, that way we won't get cursed" he said with a smile which she happily returned as she grabbed his hand and together they pushed the two doors open and strode inside.  
  
At first, no one noticed their entrance and all conversations continued, until the pair was several steps into the hall and the teachers caught sight of them. Immediately, all but Remus, Sirius, and Dumbledore were on their feet with their wands trained on the two, and Harry tried not to laugh at the pumpkin juice down the front of Snape's robes.  
  
Noticing the actions of the professors, the students all turned to see what was going on, and one by one, all conversations stopped and they starred at the two students walking hand in hand down the middle isle, wide smiles on both of their faces. Finally though, Snape found his voice.  
  
"Who are you?" he demanded as he leveled his wand at Harry's chest.  
  
"Why, Professor Snape, I thought you would be more pleased to see me than that" said Harry in a mock hurtful tone as his smile fell  
  
"Who are you?" he asked again, the words coming out in a low growl  
  
"Don't you recognize me? It's me, Harry" he said feigning confusion, aware of Ginny's attempts to hide her giggles  
  
"You can't be Potter. He's dead" said the potions master, and Harry heard several others say the same thing, and as he found the sources of the voices, he saw that Ron, Hermione, Draco, Lily, James, and the younger Remus and Sirius were holding him at wand point as well, and the older Sirius, Remus, and Dumbledore all had amused expressions on their faces  
  
"I hate to break it to you, but I am far from dead" said Harry cheekily  
  
"Right, and Harry is dead, so you can't be him" said Hermione through clenched teeth, though she appeared to be trying to hold back tears.  
  
"Come on Hermione, don't you recognize me? Ron? Draco?" he asked, and to anyone but those who knew the truth, it looked like he was pleading with them to believe them  
  
"You may look like Harry, but you aren't him, Harry Potter is dead, we saw him die" said Ron angrily as he moved closer to Hermione  
  
"Yesss, you did see me die" said Harry slowly, "But obviously I didn't stay dead, now did I?" he said with another wide grin on his face  
  
"Impossible! We had a funeral for you before you were buried in Godric's Hollow!" exclaimed Hermione irritably, and Harry just smiled wider  
  
"I believe that that was my second funeral, was it not? Didn't I come back after the first one? And just so you know, I was never buried, I was in my room the entire time" he added  
  
"Yes, but" said Hermione hesitantly, and Harry was pleased to see her wand lower slightly  
  
"Enough of this, you can't possibly be Potter, so who are you?" demanded Snape again  
  
"How can I prove that it really is me?" asked Harry in frustration, but on the inside he was enjoying every moment of the game "How about this?" he asked as he lifted the sleeve of his robe and began speaking to Sherlock for a moment before he turned back to the man who had his eyes narrowed in calculation "No, well, let's see, how about this?" he asked and with a wave of his hand, all those who had their wands on him found their hands empty as the wands all soared to Harry and landed at his feet, and with another wave of his hands, it began to snow in the great hall, and still he had a wide grin on his face, and it seemed as though many of the students were beginning to believe him, but the marauders, Lily, Ron, Hermione, Draco, and the professors were still doubtful.  
  
"If you really are Harry, then what were your last words to us in the cavern? And our last words to you?" asked Hermione, always the logical one, and here Harry's expression sobered greatly.  
  
"Sirius asked me to forgive him, and I told you I was sorry" he said quietly, and with those words, those who had been present in the cavern all broke out into smiles, and upon seeing that he was believed by those who know him best, the others had little choice but to follow their lead. His friends all ran for him and before he realized it, he was being crushed in a hug from his seven friends while Ginny smiled from her plac beside Sirius and Remus.  
  
"Well, I'm kind of disappointed, no one even tried to curse him" said Sirius with a smirk  
  
"Yes, well at least they believe him" answered Remus  
  
"Perhaps we should take this gathering to my office" suggested the headmaster as he led the professors and group of friends to his office where he explained everything he knew and Harry added his parts, making the story complete and convincing everyone that he was indeed Harry Potter and very much alive.  
  
"Harry, I believe these are yours" said the headmaster once they had concluded their explanations as he handed Harry his staff, dagger, and sword, which the younger boy gratefully accepted "And even though I hate to ask his of you tonight, we really must send our time travelers back to their own home" he said quietly and the mood sobered as Harry turned to his parents.  
  
"Congratulations, Harry, I know we would have been proud of you" said James as he hugged his future son  
  
"Yeah, don't forget us" said Lily "I know we will never forget you" she said as she too hugged him  
  
"I guess we'll see you later then" said the younger Sirius as he shook Harry's hand  
  
"Yeah, we'll see you later" echoed Remus as he too shook the others hand  
  
"It was good to meet you all" said Ginny as she hugged them all farewell  
  
"Take care of our son, will you?" asked James and Ginny nodded her head, tears spilling from her eyes  
  
Remus and Sirius then said goodbye to their best friends and then Ron, Hermione, and Draco followed by the rest of the staff, and when everyone was done, they stepped back from the group and Harry stood in front of them with his staff outstretched as he cast a memory charm on them before there was a bright flash of light and they all vanished from view, leaving an empty spot in the office.  
  
"Are you ok, Harry?" asked Ginny in concern as she saw his sad expression  
  
"I'll be fine, I'm just going to miss them" he said honestly "Come on, I want to go eat, I'm starving" he said, deciding to think about the sad moment later, and to enjoy the company of his friends for now.  
  
The group descended from the office back to the great hall, and for the first time in a long time, they were all truly happy. As Harry sat next to those he held dear and his one true love, he couldn't help but think that this was the way things were supposed to be, he and his friends and family talking and laughing and enjoying their lives without the threat of an evil wizard trying to take all of that away from them. He was finally truly happy, and since Voldemort was finally gone, he would be able to live his life like he had been trying to for far too long, as a normal wizard, or as normal as the boy-who-lived could get.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Ok, that's it, the end, sniff. I have really enjoyed writing this, and your encouraging comments. I'm glad you liked it and thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, I would name you all, but do you have any idea how long it would take me to type out 1,393 different names? You wouldn't get this story for at least another week. I am planning on doing a sequel, but give me a week or two to come up with a decent story line for it. I have a few ideas, but any suggestions you might have would be greatly appreciated because I think my ideas suck. On to some good news, I turn 21 in three days!!!!! Sorry, had to get that out, I've been counting down for 2 moths now. Ok, when I get the first chapter of the sequel up, I'll post an A/N on this story, so keep checking, but like I said, give me a little time. All right then, I guess that this is goodbye for now. Thanks for reading and let me know what you thought of the last chapter!~~~Misty 


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